Family Relations
by Katlana Child
Summary: Kenna Fallon and Keith Ferrell embark on a journey to track down serial killer, Kristen Redbird, daughter of Jeremy and Blaise Redbird and Kenna's best friend. While doing so, they agree to stay with Keith's family in Dell City, Texas. Can both manage to keep their focus on the case and stay together as a couple and partnership? And who has Kristen influenced this time? -Minion-
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! It's the story we've been waiting for! The Minion Sequel!**

**Alright, firstly, I want to apologize for my HUGE delay in writing. I was going to write last Friday, but my friends wanted me to film their Hunger Games parody and I got to act in it. (By the way, if I can get my Windows Movie Maker to work, I'll post it on YouTube and Tumblr.) And that alone took all day, and we did it again on Saturday, but rushed through it, seeing that everyone was getting fed up with each other. (Or at least, I was getting fed up with everyone, even my best friend.) And Sunday, I've just been lazy. Smh...**

**Anyways...**

**So, I hope this story is to everyone's liking. I have written another chapter, but I am currently dealing with writer's block. Plus, I have another story on mind that will make an appearance after this. And I will try to work with Fable of Death. **

**I also gotta deal with a bunch of angry 12 year olds later, but I will wash it away with a nice game of Left 4 Dead. I can't guarantee that I will update this story everyday, but I'll try my best.**

**To conclude, I need your guys' help. Basically, my writing teacher wants her students to start posting on public venues, such as Fanfiction. However, she doesn't really want Fanfiction; she wants original stories. So, I am going to be setting up my new account on fictionpress and I'll notify you all when I post an original story that you might want to read. (Keep in mind, I like to write fantasy.) More info soon to come. :)**

**Thank you so much and please enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Honestly, Kenna..."

My dad's distinctive voice stirred me awake. As my eyes open, I took in the scene; I was lying on the couch in Keith's firm, protective hold. My dad stood above me, his face hard to read. Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting eerie shadows across the wall. Keith still slumbered quietly, keeping his grip on me.

"Oh," I said, smiling slightly. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Hey Dad. Mom said that if Keith and I slept in the living room..."

"He could stay," my dad finished for me. "Yes, I know. That was the rule for Daniel too, but he managed to bypass it once or twice. At least you're actually doing what you're told."

"I'm guessing you want us to move?" I asked quietly.

"Nah. It's two in the morning and you two have a flight in the afternoon."

I frowned, remembering the case Keith and I had to tackle this entire week. Keith was still against the idea, especially since my dad announced that we would be staying with his parents in Dell City, Texas. Keith insisted on a hotel room, explaining that it would be nearly impossible to temporarily live with his parents and his many siblings, but my dad simply ignored him.

"You should probably get some sleep," my dad continued, smiling. "Good night, Kenna." He began to walk off and stopped before stepping onto the stairs to get to his room. "I love you," he said quickly.

I smiled at him. My dad was considered a hero among the SFPD. They believed that he had never even shed tears before. But I've seen him shed those forgotten tears, change diapers and even play Princesses with Jay Lynn and I. To the department, my father was a tough leader who stood down to no one, but to me, he was a giant teddy-bear filled with love that he has yet to give.

"I love you too...Daddy," I responded and he smiled back towards me and disappeared up the stairs. I don't know where I'd be without him. I know I'd most likely be dead if my dad hadn't saved my mom from that one Astafy guy. My dad could have been killed when Daniel was just a baby, but our dog saved him.

I didn't learn much about that mutt who was responsible for rescuing my dad. My parents didn't like to talk about him, or even the dog's only son, who stood by my father's side until the day he was put down. I have very vague memories of this dog, but he died when I was around four.

I glanced back at Keith, who began to snore lightly. I laughed quietly and snuggled further into his protective hold. Since I don't officially work for the SFPD, my dad let Keith and I work together, even though we were dating.

I felt reality slowly drift away as another dream took over my brain.

Tomorrow I would be in Texas tracking down my best friend who happens to be a serial killer, and staying with my boyfriend's family. This is definitely going to get interesting...


	2. Chapter 2

**These chapters are going to be pretty short, just a fair warning. :)**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Maltara101**  
**Yay! :D It's here! :D And it did, for awhile at least. It's hard to keep calm when you keep getting attacked by vicious zombies. -.-' Thank you for commenting on the story! I'm glad you're liking it so far. :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**-DizzyRedhead**  
**Sorry about the length! I'll try to get longer chapters up, but with school, another story, and some other things I do during the week, it might not work out. I'll try my best though. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**-Things in Ink**  
**Thank you! :D I'm glad you're liking it so far! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**  
**Thank you so much, Molly! :D I really appreciate you taking time to read and review! :D**

**I can't say much because I do have a busy schedule today.**

**But thank you for reading! :D It really does mean a lot! :)**

**I'll talk to you all later! :) **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Stay out of trouble," I said, hugging Jay Lynn tightly. We were just outside the airport, getting ready to board our plane to Dell City.

Jay Lynn responded with a firm hug that matched mine. "As long as you promise not to make mom a grandmother until you two are married."

I laughed skeptically. Honestly, I wasn't ready for the responsibility to take care of a child. When I was younger, I could barely babysit Jay Lynn without hurting her or getting in trouble. "I think Daniel and Angie are going to take care of that," I whispered into her ear, causing her to giggle. "But the same goes for you, Chica. Don't do anything stupid."

"I promise! Love ya!" She gave me one last squeeze before tackling Keith into a hug. Jay Lynn did this to everyone who happened to have a good chance at becoming a part of our family. Daniel stepped up to me. He looked somewhat better. There were moments when he would turn and start having little episodes, but Angie did her best to calm him down.

"I never thought I'd see you off like this," Daniel said quietly. "You know...With my best friend who is now dating you. When did this happen again?"

"While I was stuck in a hospital bed," I answered casually, remembering Keith and I sharing our first kiss together.

"Ah," Daniel said, nodding slightly. "That makes a little more sense. Kenna..."

"Relax," I said, smiling, "Jay Lynn already talked to me about making grandchildren for Mom and Dad."

Daniel smiled weakly. I really missed his cheeky smile that he was so fond of sharing. Now, it seemed like it pained him to even smirk.

"I'm not worried about that," he replied softly. "I know you hate kids..."

"I don't _hate _kids," I corrected. "They just bother me sometimes."

"Right," Daniel continued and he pocketed his hands. "Well...If you need someone to talk to, like if Ferrell starts to bother you or hurts you in anyway...You still have me on speed-dial."

I hugged him tightly. Daniel and I have always been close. He was the big brother everyone wanted; he was charming, caring, and definitely good-looking. He always had my back and even after he graduated from college, he would come to my high school and eat lunch with me as if he belonged there. There was also those moments after the whole Kristen Fiasco where I'd be at the treatment center with him, cheering him on as he slowly regained his memory. I wanted to repay the debt.

"Stay safe, Kiddo," he said into my ear. "And catch Kristen and punish her."

"I'll try my hardest," I replied and our hug was broken by Keith calling out to me.

"Um...A little help here, Kenna?" He was attempting to push away Jay Lynn, who just clung on tighter. I laughed lightly and ran to assist my troubled boyfriend. After prying Jay Lynn off, we waved towards my family and ran inside the airport, eventually boarding our plane after the insanely long metal detector-thingy.

As soon as we were in the air, I turned towards Keith and smiled.

"You ready for this?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Ready for spending a week and possibly more with my crazy family, who were actually the main cause of me leavin' my home town and moving to San Francisco to become a detective. I can't even think about it," he said, and shook his head. "Just do me a favor, Kenna."

"Sure, anything!"

"We can be all lovey-dovey and such," he assured, but his expression seemed grave. "Just do not tell them that you are the captain's daughter. They will flip if they find out that I am dating my boss's daughter."

"Of course," I said with a smirk.

"And if my sister or my brothers are mean to you, or even my parents, don't hesitate to tell me. Last time I checked, there was a hotel not that far from the actual police station that we will be working at."

"Relax," I laughed. "They can't be that bad!"

"Well, you obviously haven't met the Ferrell family..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Tomorrow's chapter will be much longer. :)**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Maltara101**  
**Hehe! I'm glad you're loving this story! :D And yeah, she kinda does, now that you point it out. Well, she is her niece. :) Hehe! Yup! Daniel and Kenna's heart-to-heart was one of my favorite parts of that chapter to write. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**-Mozzi-Girl (The Beast!)**  
**Aww, thank you, Molly! :D Glad you're liking the story so far!**

**-DizzyRedhead**  
**It's like, every boyfriend's worst fear. And in this case, girlfriend. :) I'm glad you're interested! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Alright, so I will be working on Fable of Death a lot more, especially since I got out of that stinkin' fort that I've been in for two months. (If you have read the story, you will know what I'm talking about. :) )**

**Also, I will be posting my original stories tonight. I have a poem about the apocalypse and then more of a huge story I am working on. I'll make sure to give you guys the links tomorrow. :)**

**And I do poke a little fun at Texas. If you are from Texas, I don't mean to cause offense. I love the south, especially their accents. :) And I did a little research on the city I am using, so if you actually do live in Dell City, you're free to tell me off if I didn't get something right. I made up a few things in order to keep the story going. But I tried not to change the history of Dell City.**

**Alright, I need to go find my Hunter jacket for school, or I'll be stuck wearing my blood-stained Zoey cosplay jacket. -.- (The problems of a cosplayer/gamer...)**

**Please Enjoy! :D**

* * *

My first impression of Dell City; Birth of Country. I didn't even think farms existed anymore! (I know, foolish thinking, but you shouldn't expect more from an Urban, Californian chick like myself.)

"Wow..." I muttered, as Keith and I waited outside the airport for our cab. "It looks just like..."

"Stereotypical Texas?" Keith asked with a smirk. "Yeah, it kind of does." He breathed in the rural air and smiled slightly. "See that ice cream shop over there," he said, directing my vision towards a boarded up, old stand. I frowned.

"You mean that piece of junk?" I asked and Keith chuckled lightly.

"Yeah," he said, cocking his head and smiling. "It used to be very successful when I was younger. My sister and I would always ride down here on our rusted bikes and buy as much ice cream as we could."

"You guys lived pretty close?" I asked and he shrugged. "If you count two miles down the road close, then yes."

The cab pulled up to where we were standing and Keith offered to pack my bags in the trunk. While he did so, I gazed off to that lone once-ice cream stand. It was hard to imagine a younger, happier Keith playing with his sister and constantly riding down two miles and back, just for some ice cream. I mean, Daniel and I had that kind of relationship when I was younger. I started to wonder more about why Keith hated his family so much. What happened that made him move away from his home at the young age of 18, and all the way to San Francisco?

"C'mon, Kenna!" Keith called and waved towards the cab. "We gotta get to the house before sunset!"

"Coming!" I replied and abandoned my sights on the stand. I joined Keith in the car and we set off on our short drive down the road. Keith made friendly conversation with our driver, who talked with a thick Texan accent that I didn't seem to understand. Keith caught on quickly and another thing struck me; Did Keith have an accent like this man's at one point?

The man stopped the car in front of a small home, guarded by an enormous sized barn that was accompanied by at least 10 acres of field. A lone tractor skimmed through the large field, creating good soil for the next harvest.

"Is that your father?" I asked and Keith shrugged.

"Could be..." Keith muttered and we approached the door of the smaller house, carrying our bags. Keith reached to knock on the door, but it was thrown open before his knuckles could make any contact. A large pig ran out, squealing at the top of its lungs. A stout woman with curly blonde hair ran out the door, holding a butcher's knife in her hand and waving it furiously.

"You get back here you piece of sh..." she stopped almost instantly when she saw us. She glanced at the knife and quietly placed it in a pocket stitched to the front of her apron. "May I help you?" she asked. She eyed our bags as if hoping for the worst reply.

"Nice to see you again too, Mom," Keith grumbled and the woman's eyes widened.

"Keith?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm back," he said and I heard footsteps coming towards the door. Out stepped a woman who looked around Keith's age. She, like the stout woman, had curly, blonde hair that was tied together with a rubberband into a messy pony tail. Her deep, blue eyes matched Keith's and I began to wonder if she was the sister he had mentioned earlier.

"And so the Prodigal Son returns," she remarked, shaking her head.

"Nice to see you too, Kira," Keith growled.

"And who's this chick?" Kira asked, pointing towards me. "She don't look like she's got any Texan blood."

I was barely catching on to their conversation.

"Mom...Kira, this is my partner, Kenna. Hopefully the local sheriff didn't forget to mention her. She and I are going to stay here until we solve our case."

Keith's mom scratched beneath her chin. "We didn't get no call about you two stayin' here."

"That's because you hung up the phone when they said it was the Police Department, Mom," Kira said and shook her head. "But, since ya'll are here...Might as well make an exception; right Mom?"

The woman began to think again and then shrugged. "Fine by me," she then took out her butcher's knife and walked pass me. "I'm going to go catch our dinner," she called over her shoulder. "Show them around, Kira-Baby!"

Kira rolled her eyes and escorted us into the house.

I had only been here for five minutes, and I was already considering a hotel. Was I even going to survive the night?


	4. Chapter 4

**This is where the craziness starts. :)**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Maltara101**  
**Thank you so much! :D**

**-Things in Ink**  
**Just wait until you meet the rest of the family. ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**I am in a bit of a hurry today, so I can't say much. I just want to thank everyone for reading this story, adding me as a favorite author, and so much more.**

**I did post some original stories on fiction press last night, and maybe you got the notification. Those are just my Creative Writing assignments and if you like a good horror story, then you'll like The Huntress. If you like nonsense poetry, you'll like Ode to the Apocalypse. I will also be posting a much...Nicer story soon. It's the one I've been working on since the end of sixth grade all the way until now. I've only written the first big story (which took up around 200 pages.) And I'm hoping on creating a sequel sometime.**

**The Huntress will be updated every so often. Possibly every two weeks. (I know, it's a long wait, but that's when every published assignment is due.)**

**In two weeks, I'll start posting Dragon's Apprentice (the story I'm working on) if you want to check that out. It's completely original. :)**

**That's it for today! Thank you again! :D**

**I'll post some Fable of Death tomorrow and maybe more Family Relations on Sunday!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Fallon Family Dinner; an event that rarely happened because my dad was ALWAYS working late hours, up until recently. Most of the time, it's just the kids and my mom sitting in the living room with a microwavable feast enjoying a nice television program.

Ferrell Family Dinner; an event that occurs daily, no matter what's going on. Mr. Ferrell is always punctual for the meal that Mrs. Ferrell cooks. The rambunctious younger twins dash into the dining room, fighting about who put glue on whose head. The middle child quietly sulks in, followed by Kira. They say a quick prayer and continue to eat, using their best table manners and making sure guests felt like they had their share.

As you can see, Ferrell Family Dinners are much different that Fallon Family Dinners.

Mrs. Ferrell dumped shovel-loads of home-made delicacies onto my small plate, humming a tune as she did so. Mr. Ferrell, a broad-shouldered man who resembles Keith, aside from the fiery-red hair, very well, sits at the far end of a rectangular table, his wife on his right hand, and youngest twin on his left. He quietly skims a newspaper, occasionally taking a bite of food.

The younger twins, Kevin and Kyle, punch, bite, and insult each other as they reach for their dinner. They have their father's hair, and their mother's gleaming eyes. They are slender, like their father, probably from working in the field.

Ky, the middle child, quietly eats. His messy, blonde hair shades his light green eyes. He, too, is also slender. His hands are calloused and dirty, as well as his clothes. He looks close to my age; maybe seventeen. One of the twins, Kevin or Kyle, I can tell, accidentally punches him. This causes him to drop his dinner onto the ground, a signal for a large mastiff to come clomping in. The younger twins laugh at their pet and drop another piece on the ground; only to be stopped seconds later by an upset father.

Kira sits next to her mother, smiling and making conversation with her as she politely eats her food. She laughs, nods, and shakes her head, diving into each sentence. She seems like a people pleaser. Mrs. Ferrell enjoys her daughter's presence very much, and laughs heartily whenever she talks about a man named, 'Austin'.

Keith sits next to her and myself. He keeps quiet, seeing as his family isn't interested in him as much. I reach under the table to grab his hand and he smiles towards me, squeezing back as if in code.

_Look at you, Kenna. You're profiling...Just like Mom._

I shake the thought away just as Mr. Ferrell clears his throat. The family silences almost immediately. All eyes fall upon him.

"Well," Mr. Ferrell begins, "we are grateful our son has returned." He says this was an edge around his voice; as if he doesn't want Keith to be here. "And with a _friend _as well. Tell me, boy, is she worthy to work on a farm?"

"Actually, Sir," I begin, "I live in San Francisco."

Mr. Ferrell seems disappointed in my action. "_San Francisco_?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you have a little serial killer problem, there."

"It's not like San Francisco is the only place where serial killers live...Dad," Keith growls, letting go of my hand and clenching his fists. "The reason Kenna and I are here is because of a serial killer problem in _Dell City_. Last time I checked, Dell City isn't San Francisco."

Mr. Ferrell scoffs. "You will not use that attitude around me, Son. After all, I'm letting you and your soft-spoken partner take refuge in my house until you can find this _killer_." Unlike his family, Mr. Ferrell's accent was very light. His voice was deep, one of a scholar's. You could tell he was a smart man, probably had a few extra school years to share, but you could also sense his pride in the land.

"Be kind to your father, Keith," Mrs. Ferrell scolded. "He is right, ya know. We are giving you our home for your base of studies or whatever. Ya should at least keep a kind attitude; especially towards your father."

"He started it," Keith complained, slamming his hands on the table. "You even heard him, Mom!"

"I was simply stating that San Francisco ad a serial killer problem," Mr. Ferrell responded, still looking over his newspaper. "I didn't say anything about serial killers _only _living in San Francisco. What have those city-folk been teaching you, Son?"

"And we still don't know who this chick is," Kira interrupted. She pointed her fork at me. "You're definitely not just Keith's work partner. I sense romantic tension between y'all."

I cleared my throat lightly. "Well...I...Uh..."

"She's my girlfriend, yes," Keith stepped in.

"I thought dating your partner was illegal," Kira asked and Keith rolled his eyes.

"She's just a temporary worker. She does occasionally work at the station, but not as a detective."

"Than who is she?" Keith's mother demanded. "Where does she work? I want to know who my son is dating!"

"You actually care?" Keith grumbled. "I've never heard that one before..."

"Keith..." I began warily, but he shrugged me off.

"You always get on my case about the women I date. First it was Talia, then is was Alaina, and now you're bugging me about Kenna?"

"Well," Mr. Ferrell said with a shake of his head. "We don't want our son dating any serial killers...Or even your boss's daughter. That's kissing up and we, in the Ferrell family, do not kiss up to our superiors."

Without warning, Keith stormed out of the room. I stood up to follow, but I was stopped by a tugging thought. _Leave him alone. This is his problem, not yours. Don't get involved._

There I stood, awkwardly in front of my boyfriend's family, wanting to chase after him, but also wanting to stay put.

Mr. Ferrell folded up his newspaper and shook his head solemnly. "I give the boy two days before he completely snaps."

Kira smiled and leaned over to her mom. "Or before Kenna leaves him," she whispered.

Have you ever had a run in with those popular girls who whisper secrets to each other about someone and they're so loud, you know who they're talking about? Then you feel bad for that person, and feel even worse when they're talking about you. That's how it was my whole junior high/high school experience. I've learned to cope with it, but something Kira said just bothered me.

I was _not_ the type of person to just dump guys. I mean seriously, I had one boyfriend before Keith and I was dumped so bad, (we went to a dance together and I found him with some other girl, grinding all over the dance floor), I never wanted to be the one giving that out.

-C.O.D-

Keith and I were separated during the nights. He slept in his old room while I shared with Kira. She had the attic to herself, which was nice, I guess. Her room was country-themed, (surprise, surprise!) and she had several pictures of her and her family spread across the wall. I looked around for Keith and the only picture I could find of him was a single portrait of Kira and Keith by Kira's bed.

I set my bags on the floor as Kira strolled in, smiling. "So how did you meet my brother?" she asked, pulling out a bed from underneath hers.

"My brother," I began, sitting on my suitcase, too lazy to seek out a chair, "and Keith met at the police academy. They both got jobs at the SFPD and they've been best friends since. Occasionally, Keith would come over to hang out with Daniel, my brother, but we didn't officially get together until I started working as a temporary detective in my brother's place."

"Temporary detective in your brother's place?" she asked and laughed loudly. "Was he a serial killer or somethin'?"

I blushed and looked at my feet. Okay, Daniel wasn't a killer, but he was involved with one and he went completely insane.

"Or something," I replied silently. I stood up quickly. "Hey, do you know where Keith might be?"

"If he's still sulking away, he's probably in the barn. Why? You miss him already? You Californian Chicks are so interesting."

I resisted the urge to slap her.

"Thank you," I muttered before exiting the room, and soon, the house. I made my way to the massive barn and crawled through an open door. There, surrounded by chickens, sheep, and a grey horse, was Keith.

His hands were clasped together, as if in prayer, and he was looking up at the ceiling. He sat on a floor made entirely of straw, and leaned against a bale of hay.

"Keith?" I asked and his eyes met mine. Instantly, a smile appeared.

"Kenna!" he said quietly and moved to the side, creating some space for me to sit. The chickens clucked at him for disturbing the straw, but quickly settled back into a more comfortable position. Being one for animals, I was quick to join Keith and a little lamb nudged my side. I picked it up and placed it in my lap. Keith grinned and scratched behind the lamb's ears.

"You were so lucky you got to live with animals in your childhood," I said and looked around. "I only had dogs."

Keith shrugged and looked up again. "I wasn't much of a farmer, though," he admitted. "I was too busy admiring the police department to actually care about tending crops and whatnot."

"Is that why your family is so harsh towards you?" I asked and he nodded slightly.

"Sometimes it's for that, and other times it's because of my career choice. They try to control my life." He picked up some straw and threw it across the barn. "If I date a girl and they don't like her, they'll try to get rid of her. If I had some city-friends who didn't practice farming as if it were a religion, then my dad would banish them from our household because they were 'unclean'. He had planned out my whole life; grow up a farmer, marry a farming woman, have some children, teach them the arts of farming, and then die as a farmer.

"I felt trapped all of the time, living the same routine; tend the fields until five at night. The only time it got interesting was when we found a fox nibbling away at the corn or whatever. As a cop, new things happen every day."

"It is your choice, you know," I said, "I mean, you know about my dad and how strict he is on police work; he is your boss, after all. When I said I didn't want to work for the police force and I wanted to work with dogs, he got upset. I talked with him though and we settled our differences. Maybe we need to reason things out with your father."

"We could," Keith confirmed. "But I don't want to. Not yet, at least." He pulled himself to his feet and stretched, offering his free hand down to me. I gladly took it and he hoisted me up. "We have work tomorrow morning," he continued. "We might as well fit in some sleep while we still can." He led me out of the barn, hand-in-hand.

With Keith by my side, I forgot all about the current troubles we were facing.

_With Keith, I'm sure I'll make it through this trip alive..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, okay, I understand that the ending of this chapter is completely ridiculous, but I have future plans. :)**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-HopelessRomantic1994**  
**Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. :D**

**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**  
**Thank you so much. (To be completely honest, I'm stealing personalities and actions from my dad's side of the family, so I was hoping it would be a little...Interesting. ;) ) Thank you so much! :D**

**-Crimson Endings (It says Maltara101 on the review, but I decided to change it to your current pen-name. :) )**  
**Yeah, he does sound a little like Raj. Being all, 'You didn't follow in my footsteps!' and such. :) Yay! Keitnna! :D Oh how I love this pairing. :D Thank you so much! :D**

**-DizzyRedhead**  
**Thank you! :D**

**Okay, my updating is definitely going to be slower. My laptop screen doesn't stay up anymore and it's a pain in the butt sitting in the same position whilst writing a story. Just a fair warning. :) (If you have any suggestions on how to keep a laptop screen thing-y staying up, then please feel free to tell me. :)**

**Well, I have school in the morning. (Joy.) And more fan fiction to write, a test to study for, and some rage comics to read.**

**Thank you all again! :D**

**(Oh, and has anyone seen the Corpse Bride? I know it's an older video, but I just watched it and my fangirl side arose and I am in love with Victor...If you follow me on Tumblr, I might start posting Victor Spam. :) ) ((OOH! And has anyone seen SALAD FINGERS? I just started watching it and it is so freaky, but so addicting. He is such a creeper, but I can't get enough of his voice, accent, and old fashioned way of talking. If you haven't seen it and like scary/disturbing/freaky videos, I definitely suggest Salad Fingers. :D That's all...))**

**Please enjoy! :D**

* * *

"Yes Mom, I promise we made it to Texas," I say into my phone as Keith and I enter the Dell City Police Department. Officers don't seem to be in a rush as some sit at their desk with their feet up and hats over their eyes. Well, Dell City did seem like a peaceful place...Aside from Keith's family.

"Are you totally sure?" my mom continued to question. "You're not being forced to say this?"

I sighed and shook my head. My parents have seen the worst of the worst, so I don't blame them for their over-protectiveness. But sometimes, it just got too annoying. "Yes Mom, I am sure. Keith and I just walked into the precinct. We're going to meet up with their captain as soon as we sign some paperwork."

"Can Keith account for that?"

"Oh my gosh...Mom, we're perfectly fine. I promise we aren't being held captive." Okay, that was a little lie. Keith's mom wouldn't let us leave the house until we actually finished our breakfast and did the chores. We would've been late if Keith didn't drive like a lunatic.

"I'm just checking," she began slowly. "I almost lost one of you guys, and I don't think I can bear the pain of losing you."

"Speaking of losing family," I said and took a seat as Keith went to talk to the receptionist, "how are Jeremy and Blaise."

"Your father let them take as much time as they wanted, off," my mom answered. "But when I last talked to them, they both seemed shocked, upset, and definitely angry about the whole situation."

Keith came back and handed me a paper and a pencil. As I signed, I continued to talk to my mom. "Tell them that Keith and I will find her."

"Alright," my mom said and she paused to listen to Jay Lynn speak. "Jay Lynn says hi," she added in, "and I got to head out. She's going to be late for school if I...Why would I ask such a thing?!"

"What," I said, raising an eyebrow. "What does Jay Lynn want?"

In the background I could hear her calling out, "Have you done it with Keith?"

I laughed lightly. "Tell her no," I replied shortly. "I guess I'll see you two as soon as I get home."

"Alright," my mom said and she sighed heavily. "I'll have Dad call you tonight. I love you!"

"Love you too," I quietly hung up the phone and looked towards Keith, who was hiding a smile. "What?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Oh, nothing," he answered and took my sheet of paper. "It's just...You forgot to turn your speaker off."

I blushed. _Come on..._

After waiting a few more minutes, we were called into the captain's office. He was a lanky man with sand colored hair and hazel eyes. He hardly looked like a man who could fight crime; but superheroes do come in all shapes and sizes.

"Hello," he greeted and smiled widely. "As you well may know, I'm Captain McNeill, head honcho of the Dell City Police Department."

"Good morning, Captain McNeill," I greeted with a short nod.

"Good morning Ms...Uh..."

"Fallon," I replied and outstretched my hand. "Kenna Fallon."

Captain McNeill chuckled and gripped my hand. "Of course! How could I forget the daughter of San Francisco's greatest crime fighters? And you must be Keith Ferrell." Captain McNeill shook Keith's hand and chuckled lowly. "I remember when you were just a young one. Of course, I was only a rookie back then, but I still remember you stopping by the station in just your diaper, wanting to be a police man just like me."

I stifled my laughter and looked towards Keith. His face was red with embarrassment and he dropped his head. "Very funny, Captain McNeill," he muttered. "But it's very rude to tell lies."

"Oh, I'm not lying," McNeill exclaimed. "I remember every detail. Some days, you'd come in your adorable little cowboy boots and I'd take you 'round the building to see the horses."

"You have horses?" I asked and Keith sighed.

"Used to," he answered. "They were all sold after someone got someone kicked in the stomach." He eyed McNeill carefully and the Captain shrugged.

"You spooked Laika," he said, "it ain't my fault."

Before Keith could open his mouth to argue, an officer rushed into the office, out of breath.

"Murder," she whispered. "So...Much...Blood. Down...By...McCurdy's ranch. His daughter..."

McNeill stopped laughing instantly and placed his hands on his desk as if trying to keep every foul word he knew tucked away in his mind.

_He knows them..._

I glanced towards Keith and he seemed deep in thought.

"McCurdy's?" he asked. "As in, Janet and Boris?"

The officer nodded grimly. "The daughter...Her head...So much blood."

McNeill, noticing the officer was beyond communication, walked towards the door and exited.

"Why is everyone so upset?" I asked Keith and he shook his head.

"Murder rarely happens here," he replied. "And when it does...You always know the victim."

"Well, who was the McCurdy girl then?" I asked and by the look Keith gave me, I realized I just stepped into enemy territory.

"My last girlfriend," he replied.

It felt like I had been thrown back into another terrifying nightmare; one I had had for weeks. The same one that caused me to thrash about in the hospital and Keith trying to soothe me back into my peaceful state.

It was all happening again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I apologize for the rushed chapter and very messy dialogue.**

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**-DizzyRedhead**  
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**Hehe! Victor! :D I actually just got the Soundtrack last night and it's all I've been listening to, especially the instrumentals while I was doing my homework. :) Tim Burton is the best. And yeah, I am planning on buying new hinges. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing, and thank you for the advice as well. :)**

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**Okay, I've been extremely lazy over the past few days. I miss being able to write my stories while in my bed, and now I have to sit at a desk and it's uncomfortable and I get bored easily. -.-' I'll try to update a little faster, but until I get my new laptop hinges, I can't guarantee anything.**

**The next update is going to be Fable of Death. When it's coming out, I have no clue.**

**And again, I rushed through this chapter. I was experiencing writer's block so I just made up some random stuff. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

"It's her," I whispered as soon as Keith managed to get me into a police cruiser. "It's Kristen. She's doing it."

I couldn't even think about what would happen if Keith fell for her tricks. Would he try to kill me, just like Daniel attempted to do. No, I shouldn't think such thoughts.

"Keith," I began and stopped. He looked towards me and gave me a sad smile.

"We'll be fine, Kenna. I promise. I wouldn't let anything come between us...Ever."

You can never say that in a relationship. Never.I know.

-C.O.D-

"_Kenna, keep up!"_

_I followed behind my first boyfriend. His name was Hunter, if I remember correctly. He was an outdoors-person and fond of dogs, which is what brought us together._

_Hunter pounced upon rock after rock, laughing happily as he did so. I struggled to follow behind, hoping my inner wolf would act up. Nope...It never did._

_Hunter reached the top of the 'mountain' before I did. (It was really just a large hill, but everyone called it a mountain because of it's difficult climb.) He gave me a smile and pulled me up to join him. When I finally reached the top, he pointed across the horizon, into the bustling city below. Cars zoomed by and people lined the side walks. Hunter gripped my hand and sighed happily._

"_This is why I took you up here," he said calmly. "So you could see the city's beauty, without looking into its inner 'Ugly'."_

_He turned to face me and his grin grew. "Kenna, there's something special about you; something that no other girl has."_

"_The smell of dog?" I asked and he laughed heartily._

"_Well, there's that, but there's also this playful side to you. You're not like most girls."_

_I smiled and turned away. "Yeah, well, you're not like most guys I've interacted with."_

"_I know it's a little early in our relationship, but let's try to not let anything get between us, alright?"_

_I smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Alright," I replied._

_Three weeks later, we went to that dance and I found him with that girl, grinding on the dance floor._

-C.O.D-

"I never thought I'd see her like this," Keith muttered as we approached the crime scene. Just out in her large wheat field, she lay next to a bloodied sprinkler head. Officers ran to and fro, trying to keep a sobbing mother away and an outraged father behind the crime scene tape.

"What was her name?" I asked. It was a typical question you'd ask if you were jealous; but it's kind of hard to be when the girl is dead.

"Talia," Keith responded coldly. "Head cheerleader in high school and one of my craziest girlfriends. Though, no one can amount to Kris. She was full on cray-cray."

McNeill glanced over at him, an odd look on his face. "Cray-Cray?" he asked and Keith slapped his forehead.

"Sorry," he said, "it's slang for over the top cray-cray." Keith shook his head.

"Wait," I began slowly, "how many girlfriends have you had?"

"Just two," Keith replied and I nodded slightly.

"You mean, there's another life in danger?"

Keith seemed to catch onto what I was saying. "Alaina," he muttered and looked towards McNeill, who was already one step ahead.

He pulled out a radio and began to speak on the other line. "We need backup officers to guard Alaina..." He paused and looked towards Keith, anticipating a last name.

"Alaina Boelynn"

"Right," McNeill responded and turned back towards his radio, "Alaina Boelynn immediately. She could be next in a series of killings." He returned the radio to it's 'home' and looked at me. "Is this the same killer that you two are chasin' after?"

"Most likely," I replied. "Kristen Redbird. She and another man are working under a dead woman's rule."

Captain McNeill blinked, surprised, before replying back. "_Dead woman's rule_?" he asked and Keith shook his head.

"That's a long story."

"Well," McNeill said, shaking his head. "I'm afraid this is all we can do today. My techs will get everything processed tonight and we'll meet in the morning after breakfast. Sound good?"

"Yes sir," Keith and I replied and the captain strolled away, talking to the parents. I glanced towards Keith, who shook his head sadly.

"Let's go home," he said and walked towards the car without saying another word.

-C.O.D-

For dinner that night, Mrs. Ferrell had cooled down a bit, as well as Mr. Ferrell. They had both heard of the murder and were devastated by it. They ate in silence while the twins pinched each other under the table and Kira was trying to converse with Ky, who just picked at his mashed potatoes. Ky was different than most of the Ferrells. Ky did talk, or so I have been told. Ever since my arrival, he's been silent. I thought he was deaf at first, because he and Kira would use Sign Language to talk, but Keith assured me that it was just something Ky had always been interested in. Kira just happened to be on the receiving end most of the time.

Mr. Ferrell cleared his throat and pushed himself upwards. "Well," he began slowly, "I'm going to head to bed early tonight."

Mrs. Ferrell also stood up. "I'll accompany you," she added in and the adults made their way up the stairs and into their room. We heard their door slam shut and some quiet bickering before Kira began a new conversation.

"So, how's California like?" she asked and Ky raised his head, interested in the subject.

"Well," Keith began, "it's nothing like Dell City. It's a lot louder and you don't a lot of things besides cars, peoples, and bars."

"San Francisco is insane," I added on with a slight smile. "There's always something crazy happening, whether it be serial killer issues or just a simple car crash."

"And you like it there?" Kira asked, scoffing. "You like knowing that you could get killed just walking down the streets?"

"Most serial killers have a motive," Keith answered. "They don't just randomly pull kids of the street and slit their throat."

"Sometimes they do," I corrected, "but as long as you lay low and respect others, you're pretty safe."

"Still..." Kira sighed and she sat back and glanced towards Ky. "Would you like to live in San Francisco? Am I the only crazy one here?"

Ky bit his lower lip and shook his head, but nothing came out of his mouth.

"Killers?" one of the twins shouted and he sat up. The mastiff, startled by this action, took a step away from the twins. The other one also sat up and grinned.

"Like pirates?" he asked and Kira rolled her eyes.

"Not like pirates, you idiot. Ya know...Like the ones with knives and guns," Kira replied and the twins faced each other.

"Awesome!" one said and the other jumped to his feet and zoomed out of the kitchen, the other following in close pursuit shouting that he was going to get him and feed him to some imaginary dragon.

"I guess I should go take care of the twins," Kira sighed and pushed herself up. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She followed her younger brothers' tracks and Ky exited the kitchen as well, quietly humming a song.

Keith ran his fingers through his hair and I smiled towards him. "You tired?" I asked and he chuckled lightly.

"I don't know how they do it," he said.

"Do what?"

"Live in such a dull place where a murder is a rare occurrence."

"It's not entirely dull...You have crops to tend to and such."

"But it's not exciting. The plants don't suddenly wield knives and kidnap little children." Keith shook his head and stood up. "I'm going to head off. Let's try to leave before my mom wakes up tomorrow."

"And what time will that be?" I asked and Keith's calm expression faltered. He groaned audibly and replied with,

"4:30 in the morning."


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize in advance for the crappy ending. I am running out of things to write about. Also...I HATE WRITING AT A DESK! **

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**-The Sarcastic Polar Bear**  
**Ugh! Just waking up at an assigned time sounds horrible. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

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**Well, I'm glad you liked it. :) I'll admit, it isn't as rushed as this one. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D You're awesome!**

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**Thank you! And actually, I do have something in mind. It might not be unexpected, but it will be a little surprising. Do you think you already know what might happen? If so, send me a PM and I'll see if I have to change some things around. :) And truthfully, updating has gotten a lot harder since I haven't been able to do it from the comfort of my own bed. -.-' I kinda have to force myself to sit down and write now, which has never happened in the past. But thank you again! I really appreciate it. :D**

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**Yes, he is. :) In fact, I was begging my mom this morning to take us to see Frankenweenie when it comes out. I love anything made by Tim Burton. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**I am so sorry that my updating went from being daily, to once or twice a week. Until I get my new hinges, I'm afraid it's going to be like that. Unless I can develop a habit of writing on my iPod...Which probably won't happen. Then I can get rid of this spider-infested desk. Joy.**

**Well...I probably should sign off here. I don't know which story will be up next, so just keep an eye out for both. I probably won't be able to write for a few more days because I do have some other writing assignments that need to be finished. (The Huntress being one of them). **

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* * *

At 4:55, Keith and I managed to slip out of the house without disturbing the peace. I was surprised though, at how Kira was a heavy sleeper. I fell down at least three times, and all she did was snore loudly.

When I met Keith in the kitchen, he was scribbling a note on a piece of paper. He set it down on the table and smiled towards me. "Let's go before my mom gets up," he said and we made our way towards the back door that led to the prosperous acres of land.

"What was that note for?" I asked as Keith pushed the door open. He smiled slightly.

"'Mom and Dad,'" he recited quietly, "'Kenna and I had to go into the station early today. They might have found a lead. I'll see you when we get home. Keith.'"

"I was thinking about that," I said as we started our way across the fields and to our car. "What are we going to do until 7:00?"

"Well," a voice rose up behind us. I nearly screamed, but Keith stole the honor. We whipped around and gasped. "You think you two can get out of doing chores that easily?" Mrs. Ferrell placed her hands on her hips.

"Uh..." I began slowly, shaking from the surprise. "Well..."

"I want the two of you to go inside and start cooking breakfast for the others. And after that, I'll have you clean up the barn." She pointed towards Keith. "Your father is in bed sick with a stomach virus and I ain't leavin' the farm untended. You're the heir, you do the work."

"Mom!" Keith whined, much like a child. "Kenna and I have our own jobs; we are basically superheroes! We need to find Kristen or..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Mrs. Ferrell exclaimed. "Breakfast. Now." She directed her finger towards the back door and Keith hung his head.

"Come on, Kenna," he groaned. "The faster we get this done, the earlier we can be to work."

-C.O.D-

We were at least an hour late.

Keith and I rushed into the precinct, our hair tousled and clothes covered in dirt. We were planning on showering, but we noticed that we were already super late, so we abandoned the thought.

Captain McNeill eyed us as if we were insane. "You two look...Um..." he attempted to find the right description, but his mind failed him.

"My mother is insane," Keith grumbled lightly. "Can we just move on?"

McNeill nodded and waved us into his office. Keith and I sat down in the chairs in front of his desk as he took a seat. He stared at us before continuing on with the more important subject; our case.

"Our officers are down at Alaina Boelynn's house, keeping her company. That's really all that's happened."

"Our killer hasn't resurfaced?" Keith asked and Captain McNeill shook his head solemnly.

"We might have scared her away," he replied, "unless you have another friend that's a girl that we should worry about."

"No, Sir," Keith sighed.

"Then we're stuck, aren't we," Captain McNeill added and he rubbed his eyes. "How do you catch a killer when there isn't any bait?"

"There is," I informed. "Alaina is most likely Kristen's next target. If we can get the officers to leave Alaina, but have Keith and myself stake out her house, we could probably catch our killer."

"But what if things go wrong?" Keith asked. "What if we screw something up and Alaina ends up just like Talia?"

"We cannot have another death hit our town," Captain McNeill confirmed. "Doing so would frighten the public into oblivion! I don't know how they did it in your city, Sweetheart, but in Dell City, we like to keep our people safe."

"Well," I replied, "I just so happen to be the daughter of a former FBI agent and the San Francisco Police Department's Captain. I've learned a lot in my youth about luring in a serial killer and most of the time it works. It's a matter of trust from here on out. And the question is; Do you trust me?"

"Heh," Captain McNeill chuckled lowly. "Well I'll be...In all of my years I have never seen an officer demand trust like you have." He pushed himself up and outstretched his hand. "But yes, Ms. Fallon," he gripped mine in his and smiled. "I trust you."


	8. Chapter 8

**I have said it before and I'll say it again; I hate writing at a desk.**

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**-Crimson Endings**  
**Hey! (By the way; love your new Tumblr Pic! :D)**  
**I totally agree with you! The reason I love his movies so much is because it's dark! :) And he does it to a point where it can either freak you out, or it can be appropriate for kids. He is so cool. :)**  
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* * *

Keith and I approached a rundown house about a mile away from the police station. The screen door that protected the real door was broken off its hinges. Some of the windows were cracked, or missing. Clothes hung limply on a clothesline and the lawn seemed dead. Dirt patches peppered the yellow-brown land.

"Alaina's father," Keith began quietly, "died years ago; when we were still dating. Her mother fell into depression and let their house and lawn just die."

"That's awful," I exclaimed quietly and Keith nodded.

"It was the reason we split; Alaina had to take care of her mother. She couldn't handle a relationship on top of that; even if I did want to help."

"I'm sorry, Keith," I replied and he smiled lightly.

"No worries Kenna." We approached the door and he knocked twice. "If we didn't break up, I wouldn't have met you."

The door creaked open and a woman greeted us. She looked around our age; about 23. She was a red-head with golden-brown eyes. The bags under her eyes must have been the stress building up from looking after an upset mother. In her hands, she held an older looking telephone.

"Alaina Boelynn?" Keith asked cautiously and the woman nodded. She held up her hand and brought the phone back to her ear.

"I'll talk to you later, Sis. Ma and I have company." She pressed a button and set the phone to the side. Like everyone I had met so far, her accent was thick. "You two the cops the station was gonna send down?"

I nodded. "Yup! I'm Detective Fallon and this is my partner, Detective Ferrell."

Alaina narrowed her gaze. "Ferrell...As in, Keith Ferrell?" Keith slowly nodded and a grin spread across Alaina's face. "Well look at you; I thought you would've become a farmer, just like your father. But no, you're a hotshot detective."

"It's nice to see you too, Alaina," Keith replied. "May we come in? We have some important matters to discuss."

"Of course!" She threw the door open wider and ushered us inside her house. Much like the outside, the interior was barely standing. The carpet was old and stiff, and a moldy scent hung in the air. Alaina led us pass the kitchen, where cupboards were missing doors, dishes dominated the sink, and a small, square table rested alone in the corner, surrounded by two wooden chairs.

Out of the kitchen, Alaina finally stopped in a family room. It was small, but nicer-looking than the house itself. A couch was pushed up against the wall. On the wall in front of the couch was a TV, perched on a small wooden box. The walls were covered in grayscale and sepia toned pictures of old family members. Very few colored pictures found a home on the four surrounding walls. As Keith and I sat down on the couch and Alaina pulled up a chair for herself, I analyzed the pictures. A man made several appearances and I guessed that he was the deceased father Keith had mentioned. Keith also made an appearance on the wall, holding Alaina close at one point in their relationship. Alaina cleared her throat, noticing my lack of attention and I jumped back into reality.

"What's the problem?" she asked and smiled towards Keith. "Come to take me back after all these years?"

Keith tried to hide the oncoming blush. "Um...No...Actually Alaina, it's quite serious."

"Punishing me for being a naughty girl?" Alaina guessed and Keith shook his head.

"Not even close. There's a serial killer roaming the streets."

"Same one who killed Princess Talia?" Alaina asked and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've heard. It's a good thing that slut is dead."

"Miss Boelynn," I said warningly, but she just sent me a glare and returned talking towards Keith.

"Alaina..." Keith sighed. "Look. This serial killer has a motive, and this motive is to kill off all of my past girlfriends. Every single one of them is dead, except you. So, Detective Fallon and I have assumed that you're the next victim."

Alaina was silent as she let this news fade in. Shaking her head, she replied, "Why do I sense another part of that sentence."

"Don't freak out," I began, "but we're going to use you to catch the killer."

"And by that you mean..." Alaina continued, still confused on the plan.

"You're the bait," Keith summarized and her jaw dropped slightly.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm afraid not," I answered. "But remember, Keith is a highly trained detective who, just recently, saved the lives of three people in San Francisco. There is no doubt that he won't treat you any differently."

Keith glanced towards me and I could sense him smiling. "Kenna's right," he said, "I promise, you won't get hurt."

For the rest of our visit, we explained our plan; we'd be taking one of the houses across the street and using it as a base with the permission of the owner. Keith and I would take turns keeping watch as the night goes on. If we spotted anything suspicious, we would alert police forces that would also be hiding in a separate house. Hopefully we would capture Kristen before Alaina got killed.

As she brought us to the door, she grabbed Keith's hand.

"Thank you for being my hero," she said in a tone that bothered me. _Is she trying to seduce him?_

"It's my job," he replied with a smile. "Kenna and I fight to bring down serial killers."

"Well," Alaina continued, "when all of this madness blows over, we need to hang out again. Maybe...We could finish that dinner date that took place a few years ago."

Keith paused, blushing once more. "Uh...Maybe is the key word. Kenna and I can't stay long. After we apprehend the killer, we're heading straight back to San Francisco."

"I'm sure your boss won't mind if Kenna goes back early and you stay for a bit." By this point, Alaina was getting closer to Keith. I couldn't stand it.

"Okay!" I announced loudly, "Keith and I have a stake-out to prepare for." I took his hand and pulled him away from her. "We'll see you later!"

And before she could say anything else, we were gone.

Usually, I wasn't the one to get overprotective, much less, _jealous. _However, I couldn't bear the way that she held onto him; the way she looked at him and talked towards him.

But what I couldn't stand the most; the fact that Keith didn't _pull away_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! I have school tomorrow and it's already pretty late, so I won't be able to reply to reviews. But THANK YOU to everyone that did send a review. I'm glad that you're liking the story. I have an idea in mind and I think you guys will like it! :D**

**I want to thank everyone that keeps coming back for more! You guys are the reason I love to write so much! (I'm starting to update more frequently.) However, I probably won't be able to post until AFTER Halloween. (I'll be posting Halloween-y pictures on my Tumblr (katlanac) ).**

**Again, thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D **

* * *

"Okay," Keith began as we pushed our way into our decoy house.

"Okay, what?" I snapped.

"Why are you so moody? You were perfectly fine this morning."

"I have my own reasons, Keith. Let's keep it that way."

The house wasn't fancy, but it wasn't small either. A long hallway was the first room you entered when you came into the house. About halfway through, it split off into two rooms on either side; one leading to the kitchen and another to a basement. At the end of the hallway were a flight of stairs that led to the second floor, where our base would be. The kitchen was large and roomy with newer appliances than what you would expect to see in a house like this. The kitchen was connected to a sitting area, that led to another sitting area through an archway. The second sitting area was more of a living room. Plush couches lined the walls and a TV was placed on the wall. This room led to a master bedroom. It had been cleared of everything except for the bed frame. There was even evidence that a carpet had been torn out, leaving a rather ugly tile pattern for the floor.

The second floor wasn't too extravagant; just four rooms; two on each side of a short hallway. There was one bathroom at the end. The basement was boarded off, so we weren't able to see what was down there.

I took my place in the bedroom closest to the bathroom and locked the door. I strolled over to my window and overlooked the lonesome city. Just across was Alaina's house. She was waving towards a police squad car and entered her house. I clenched my fists and turned away. I don't know why she bothered me so much. I know the whole 'She still loves Keith' is part of it, but there was something else.

My phone vibrated and I pulled it out, sighing in relief when I recognized the number.

"Dad, thank goodness," were my first words into the phone.

"Is everything alright, Kenna?" he asked and I sighed.

"If I said yes, would you believe me?"

"You sound a bit skeptic, Hon. What's bothering you?"

I sat on my bed and fell backwards, examining the ceiling. "Dad...How did you win Mom over?"

"Odd question," he responded, "but I have a feeling my answer will help you. Well, it was really just being myself and persevering through all of the trials that hit our way. You know, I didn't get around to telling Mom how I really felt about her until two years after we met."

"So all you did was be yourself?" I asked.

"Not entirely," my dad answered and he paused –probably to grin at my mom who might have been in the same room. "I was a friend; a partner. There were days when your mom needed nothing else but a friend to hold her secrets and though I wasn't always the first choice, I have kept a few of her secrets. Is something going on between you and Keith?"

"I dunno," I replied softly and sat back up. "I want to say we're doing fine, but we're not. Something happened today that upset me."

"Well, you can always talk to me, Kenna."

I smiled. "I know, Daddy." It felt weird calling him that. I heard little kids call their fathers that all the time. Most grown children just called them Dad or Father. Oddly enough though, it brought me some comfort; like the fact that I didn't have to worry so much because I felt like a little kid again.

"And your mother too," my dad added and I laughed lightly. "She told me to add that."

"I bet she did," I replied. "Hey Dad, I know this is a weird question, but have you ever gotten jealous when you and mom were...You know...Dating?"

"All the time," he admitted and I could tell he was smiling. "In fact, on our first date, Oscar managed to show up somehow and you can imagine how that date turned out."

"Let me guess; you poured soup down Oscar's nice dress shirt."

My dad chuckled. "I'm glad you've been paying attention during my stories. Now, let me ask you a question; Are you jealous?"

I never expected my dad to know much; that was my mom's job. She could tell if we had a bad day with a certain teacher just by the way we did our homework. Dad; he was a little clueless. "Um..." I began, "well...Yeah. I'm not going to sugar-coat it, Dad. Right as we get here, we already have a list of victims and they all happened to be Keith's past girlfriends. There's only one girl left and she's been flirting up a storm. She even asked Keith out."

My dad sighed heavily. "I see." He paused for a short second and continued. "Kenna, I've known Keith for awhile now. There's a reason why I haven't killed him yet."

My eyes widened slightly. "Killed?"

"You know what I mean; when a dad gets too protective over his daughter. Anyway, Keith has always been a loyal worker. He saved your life along with Angie and Daniel's. If anything, he's probably too nice to tell this girl no."

I thought about this. Maybe he was right; maybe Keith was just _too _nice. He wouldn't ditch me after he went through all of this trouble saving my life and then visiting me in the hospital and presenting that award to me. Keith was not your average guy; he was much more than that.

"Don't give up on your _cowboy _just yet, Hon," my dad continued. "And if I learned anything from country music; the cowboy is usually the most loyal companion any girl can have. And I'm willing to trust this boy."

I smiled. "Thanks Dad."

"No problem, Kenna. Stay safe, alright? I'll see you when you come home. Mom says she loves you."

"I love you guys too," I said quietly and hung up the phone. I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out this situation. I trusted my father, but there was always that nagging thought that told me that Keith was still interested in Alaina.

Before I knew it, I was sleeping away.

However, it didn't last long.

About 3:45 AM, Keith had managed to unlock the door and throw it open. He shook me awake and started speaking in a rushed tone. I only caught, "...too late."

"Too late?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Alaina's dead," Keith exclaimed, "we're too late."


	10. Chapter 10

**It's been 47 days since this was last updated...Wow...**

**I'm going to skip review replies since it's been so long, but thank you to; ZeDancingHobbit, DizzyRedhead, Mozzi-Girl, and Crimson Endings for the amazing reviews! :D**

**Also, another Thank You to Mozzi-Girl and Crimson Endings for reviewing the final chapter of Fable of Death. I really appreciate it. :D**

**So, I stayed up until 1 this morning to write a good chunk of the story, and I took about twenty minutes today to finish the chapter, so we can move on. **

**I'll probably finish this story before I post another. **

**Anyways; thank you to everyone who still remains strong to this story! You're all frikkin amazing! :D**

**Now...If you'll excuse me...I'm going to go make snow angels. :3**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Keith and I rushed into the kitchen where several technicians and cops chatted nervously. Some of the officers ran out of the house, as more entered. One was guiding a woman in a wheelchair inside the house and took her to a separate room for questioning.

"What's going on?" I asked and one of the technician's, a young Marshal Islander with curly black hair running down her back, shook her head.

"Dang it!" she exclaimed and the others faced her. "Whoever killed Alaina knew what they were doing; they took out our cameras."

"But...Only we knew where the cameras were," Captain McNeill stated and scratched his chin. "So we have no film, whatsoever."

"No," the technician sighed.

"But we do have Alaina's mother," an officer replied and Keith groaned.

"What's wrong?" I asked and he shook his head.

"That lady's crazy," he informed. "Do we have to question her?"

"Yeah," the officer replied, "because she was the one who saw the killer."

"For all we know, it could've been her reflection," Keith mumbled and I delivered a swift kick to the shin. He gasped in pain and gripped the edge of the table.

"Don't be a jerk," I muttered and grabbed him by the tie and dragged him to the secluded room where Alaina's mother was.

She was greying, but didn't look _amazingly _old. In fact, she looked young. Light wrinkles were etched across her ivory skin. Her dark, black hair trailed down her back, and covered the back of her wheelchair. Glasses were perched crookedly on top of her rather small nose. As one officer conversed, trying to get some answers out of her, she went in and out of consciousness. Occasionally, she would smack the officer and scold him for being so loud. Keith gave me a look that read, _Are you sure? She's INSANE!_

I rolled my eyes and tapped the officer's shoulder. He looked up at me and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," he sighed, jumping to her feet. He leaned down to my height and whispered. "This one is definitely loco, ma'am. I would watch out for her, if I were you." With that said, the officer left and I walked over a chair set in front of the woman. She had fallen into another round of sleep.

"Hello?" I asked and waved my hand lightly across her eyes.

She sputtered lightly and opened her eyes. And I thought my dad had beautiful, blue eyes. Hers were tinted with purple and green, creating a whirlpool of beauty that destroyed my dad's normal, bright, blue eyes.

"Good morning, Ma'am," I said and Alaina's mom looked at me with a certain look that didn't share distaste...But interest. Whether it was good or bad, I didn't know. "I'm sorry about rudely taking you away from your home."

When she spoke, her voice was light and breezy, yet quiet and still. "Rudely..."

"Yes, Ma'am. It's like we tore you away from your home."

"Tore...Tore..."

Keith began to hum, as if in warning, but I jabbed him in the ribcage. "Are you alright, Ma'am?"

"The man...Who killed my daughter...He tore her apart..."

My jaw dropped slightly. "With...What?"

"Sprinkler head..." Alaina's mom drifted off once more and Keith stepped in.

"Yo," he called and snapped his fingers. The woman jolted back into reality and looked upon Keith before horror mixed with anger spread across her face.

"You..." she muttered and lifted her hand to slap him. I intervened quickly and held the woman's hand down.

"What's wrong?" I asked and the woman scoffed.

"What's wrong...What's wrong?!" She pointed a crooked finger towards Keith. "That _man _killed my sweet baby!"

"She's insane!" Keith exclaimed. "I was in the kitchen the whole time."

"I saw you, boy!" the woman continued. "I saw you a-sneakin' into my house and going into my baby's room. I heard her screamin' and you laughin'. YOU KILLED ALAINA!"

The woman attempted to lunge from her wheelchair, but I held her down and looked at Keith. I wanted to believe him...But it made sense.

Captain McNeill stated that the cameras were set up in a fashion where only us, the police department, knew about. Keith was quick to accuse Alaina's mother of being wrong...And he was a little mad at Alaina for trying to tell him to come back home, and leave me.

I stood up just as McNeill threw the door open, holding a gun. "I heard yellin'," he said and looked towards Keith. "What's all this about; you killin' Alaina?"

"I didn't," Keith exclaimed quickly. "I promise!" He pointed to me. "Kenna believes me, right?"

I hesitated for a little too long. "Keith..."

"You have to believe me, Kenna! I was downstairs the whole time!"

"But I was upstairs," I exclaimed. "I can't be your alibi!"

"And neither can we," Captain McNeill stated. "You disappeared for quite some time during Alaina's murder."

"Yeah...To the bathroom!" Keith growled and McNeill shook his head.

"Unless we have actual proof of you using the toilet, then you're our number one suspect." He waved towards the other officers and four of them filed in. Two took Keith by the arms and the other two prevented a struggle as they led him out. But they couldn't stop his cries.

"I'm innocent! Kenna! You, of all people, need to believe me."

I looked down, a tidal wave of grief overflowing me. "I want to, Keith," I muttered and Captain McNeill placed on hand on top of my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"C'mon, Kenna. We should probably start packing your things and get you home."

I didn't refuse his grip, but instead, exit the room. The last thing I heard before he closed the door was the satisfied snore of a sleeping victim's mother.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey! :D**

**I'm running short on time, but I want to thank; Crimson Endings, DizzyRedhead and mozzi-girl for reviewing! It means a lot, guys. :D**

**Pretty short chapter today, sorry about that. I have something planned though. And don't worry, we'll get back to Kristen shortly. :)**

**Thank you for everything! I really do appreciate it! **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

"He...WHAT?"

"Dad," I said, "relax..."

"How can I relax when my daughter has been dating a SERIAL KILLER!"

"You're forgetting the big picture here; it was Kristen...Not Keith."

I sat on the floor of the room I had been staying in, in the decoy house. After the rush of things, I decided to call my dad. He seemed to know what to do in moments like these.

"But you got some evidence that could suggest that Keith killed that girl," my dad continued and sighed before cursing under his breath. "Kenna, you are coming straight home. I knew putting you on the force for this case would be a bad idea..."

"But Dad..."

"No but's. I don't want you to get hurt anymore than emotionally."

"But he's my boyfriend, Dad..."

"He's a SERIAL KILLER!"

There was a knock on my door, followed by McNeill's voice.

"You in there, Kenna?"

I covered the mouthpiece. "Yes, Sir. I'm just...Arranging some things with family."

"I see. Meet me in the kitchen when you're done. We have to talk."

He walked off and I returned to my father. "Dad...Part of me believes that Keith is not the killer, but another says he is. If mom was accused of killing someone...Wouldn't you stand up for her...Even if some evidence fought against it?"

My dad was silent, as if recalling a memory. "You really love this man...Don't you."

"More than anything..." I muttered. "I just don't know who to believe."

He fell silent once more. My mom, who had been in the same room, started talking to him and he replied with quiet agreements. "Mom," he began, "wants to talk to you."

"Okay..." I replied unsure. It's not that I don't like my mom...It's just that I relate better to my dad. Plus, my mom always tried to get into my head and use her psychic weirdness to approach my problems. I love her, but she can get really annoying.

"Kenna," she began as soon as the scuffle of the phone changing from person to person ended. "I know this must be incredibly hard for you."

"It is, Mom," I replied dully.

"And I know you probably don't want to hear anything from your mother right now...But I need you to tell me something."

"Sure," I agreed and she was silent as my dad talked to her.

"Alright," my mom started once more, "I want you to tell me who you think killed Alaina." My dad started talking again and my mom sighed before adding, "Go with your gut."

I smiled lightly. My dad always had a way of incorporating his Gut-Feeling speech, even if it was subtle. "Well..."

"And you can't say, 'I don't know'."

"Well...I want to believe that Keith is innocent."

"There you go," my mom continued, "that's your answer. You want to believe that your boyfriend is innocent. Now, go out there and tell your captain that you're fighting alongside Keith and you'll make sure he wasn't the one who killed that girl."

"But the evidence suggests that he did it..."

"A small portion yes. Have they checked the victim's house? Prints on the body? DNA anywhere?"

"No, I don't think so. They're a little under-developed, Mom. They do have technicians and such; but not the best equipment."

Mom conversed quietly with dad before he took the phone once more.

"Kenna...Are you being forced to leave?"

"I...I don't think so."

My dad sighed heavily before saying, "Stay there a few more days. I'll send some help."

He sounded almost doubtful; like what he was sending could get me killed, yet he still planned to follow through.

"Who are you sending?" I asked, fearing the response.

"Only the best lawyer, detective, Data Analyst and...Dare I say...The best forensic technician in San Francisco."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! And a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! :D**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-ZeDancingHobbit**  
**I probably laughed a little harder than I should have at "KIDS HELP KENNA!" Hehe! Thank you for brightening my day with that. And another thank you for reading and for reviewing. :D**

**-DizzyRedhead**  
**Haha! I never thought of it like that! As for who he's sending...I'm not gonna spoil that. :) But thank you for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**  
**Hey! I WANT hilarity to ensue, and I will try my best, but no promises that it'll be like...Gut-Busting hilarious. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D**

**So...I wanted to update because I know I won't for the next few days because just who got Mark of Athena? Haha! I know, I'm late to the party, and I accidentally read a spoiler about the ending (it killed me a little inside...Just saying. I'm like...Not even whole anymore. Why, Rick? Why?) and several other amazing books (Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen and Reached (Third book to the Matched Series) Also, I'm working on two HUGE projects before the break ends, which is taking up my time, but I can guarantee, the next chapter will come out before I get back to school. (Ugh! I really don't want to go back. This is just one of those days where I wish I attended Hogwarts.)**

**Thank you for all of your support! I really, really do appreciate it, everyone! :D**

**Please enjoy! :D**

* * *

The next morning, after I had explained the situation to a doubtful Mrs. Ferrell, I left to the Dell City Airport; awaiting the arrival of my dad's 'agents',

A small jet pulled into the runway. As it came to a halt and a flight of stairs was pushed up to it, the first visitor revealed himself.

Smirking and as happy as ever, was Kai. He caught sight of me, waved, and then jumped onto the first step, missing it, and tumbling down dramatically. Amy, the next visitor, gasped and quickly ran down the stairs after her clumsy husband, followed by District Attorney, Oscar Santos. He nodded towards me with a friendly smile and stepped carefully down the stairs.

Now, I know what you're probably thinking; why did my dad send Oscar? Well, funny story really...He and my dad are friends. Not incredible friends, but they do talk on a somewhat regular basis. Even with the whole wedding incident, Oscar decided it was best to move on, instead of dwelling on the fact that his fiancee ran away at the alter.

He assisted Amy in pulling Kai to his feet as the final guest stepped out; the 'Best' detective.

"Daniel!" I called out, and he smiled in response, before jogging down the stairs and running towards me to tackle me into a hug.

He had gotten so much skinnier. For a minute, I worried that the treatment wasn't working, but his smile reassured me that it was. Dark bags hung underneath his eyes and when he talked, it sounded almost normal.

"Kenna!" he said, before initiating another hug. I pulled him tighter than before, hoping that this wouldn't be the last of our embraces. "It's so good to see you, Little Sis."

We pulled away and walked over to where the others were. Kai sat on his suitcase now as Amy gently held a napkin against his nose as the blood quickly soaked the tissue. Oscar rolled his eyes lightly and looked towards me.

"Kenna! It's nice to see you once more," he said and he outstretched his hand; a greeting which I returned.

"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Santos," I replied and he chuckled.

"Hey Kenna," Kai sighed and winced as Amy turned to wave. "Who knew stairs could be so...Dangerous."

"Well, they definitely pose a threat when you try to _jump off of it_!" Amy exclaimed, shaking her head, then smiling shortly after. She turned to me and smiled. "I'm glad to see you're alive, though, Kenna. Mal made it sound like you were in danger."

I sighed. "I wish it were me...Instead of Keith."

"Wait," Daniel muttered. "Keith...Is in trouble?"

"Big time," I informed. "He's been accused of murdering one of his old...friends. It just doesn't seem like him, Daniel."

My older brother nodded slowly. "So this is why Dad sent us; San Francisco's best lawyer, Oscar Santos, to assist in defending my sister's boyfriend and my best friend. Amy and Kai, the hotshot Data Analyst and Forensic Scientist couple to find any evidence to fight for Keith's freedom. And me...A psychopath who's still in recovery after the last battle with Kristen."

"Dad mentioned you were the best detective he had though," I reminded him and he looked towards me.

"I'm sure he did. Anyway...Dad informed us that the situation is quite...Fatal. Here, they have a policy regarding the Death Penalty; it is necessary in cases like this."

"But should Kristen be getting the needle?" Amy asked. "As much as it pains me to say it."

"She should, but we don't know where she is hiding." Daniel shook his head once more. "And I know it's hard to admit, but the police force can be brutal at points. Sometimes, we like to believe we caught the bad guy and everything awful will just end right there. But really, we're far from victory. An innocent man is slaughtered for the sake of fake protection."

Oscar stepped up. "All a very good opinion, Detective Fallon, but we're wasting enough time as it is! If an innocent man is being threatened with _death_ then let us get started with our investigation."

Daniel nodded and tried to advance forward, but I stopped him and the oncoming group. "It isn't that easy, guys. Captain McNeill has no knowledge that I am still here in Dell City. He thought I was going home today."

Amy sighed. "It's not like I've been on secret cases before. Trust me Kenna, we can handle this. We'll just have to tell your temporary captain that you decided to wait here for Keith's sentence; considering he is your boyfriend."

"Meanwhile...We'll need a base of operations," Oscar continued. "You know; so we don't just wander about."

I thought about Oscar's request and hid a small smile. I might have had a somewhat amazing idea.

"Well...We can always stay where I'm staying," I answered and Daniel smiled.

"Yeah! I've always wanted to meet Keith's parents. He's always told me that they were insane, and I want to know if he was right, or just pulling my leg."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Amy added in, as Kai nodded.

"Then it's settled," I announced, "we're staying with Mr. and Mrs. Ferrell. Though I do have to warn you; Some of the rumors Keith has been spreading aren't entirely false."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! :D**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Crimson Endings**  
**Hehe! I love Kai so much. You would know. ;) And yeah, they were friends at the beginning, why not make them friends again. :) Oh! I loved writing the whole; staying with the parents, bit. So much fun! :D Thanks for reading, as always, and for reviewing! :D**

**-mozzi-girl**  
**Hey! Thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it! And thank you for reading! :D**

**-DizzyRedhead**  
**Thank you so much! :D**

**Anyways, I'm on a Doctor Who buzz, so I'm not gonna say much. I'll post again soon! Thanks for all the support and especially for giving me a chance!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

A rusted frying pan clattered against the wall before Daniel slammed the door shut and locked it. He sunk to the ground and panted. "Ho. Ly. Crap."

"What did you do?" I asked curiously.

"I just said that there's a chance Keith might be innocent and they went all haywire," Daniel replied, horror still masking his face. "Mrs. Ferrell can _run_."

"Well," Kira began as she hopped off from her bed, "my mother don't like to joke around; 'specially with you city folk.

"Yeah," Daniel asked, "well your mother is a MANIAC!"

The door trembled as Mrs. Ferrell pounded her fist against the splintering wood. "I heard that! When I bust this door down, I'm gonna run in there and wring your scrawny little neck!"

"Hide me," Daniel yelped before diving underneath the bed, eventually getting pulled out by Kira. Yeah, this wasn't our best plan.

Mrs. Ferrell had allowed my team to stay over, as long as we did what Keith and I hated to do; the chores. However, she was giving everyone a harder time than I thought; and Kira was joining in, even after stating that she'd be happy to help with our case. Well, not happy, really. She doesn't want bad attention tracked to her family, so she wants us to clear Keith's name and remove him from Dell City at once.

Mrs. Ferrell threw her fist against the door one last time before growling under her breath. "You're lucky this time, City-Boy. But when Mr. Ferrell comes in; he's going to give you a butt whoppin' that you will remember for the rest of your existence." And with that, the 'spawn of the Devil' left almost as quickly as she had come.

"Why would your parents freak out over good news, such as Keith's innocence?" Oscar questioned, observing Kai as he walked around the room, picking at whatever he thought was decent evidence.

"They wouldn't," Kira snarled. "Which means City-Boy said something to offend my mother!"

We all looked towards Daniel and he held his hands up in defense. "I said just that, though! I might have mentioned being Keith's best friend who taught him the ways of being a police officer, but that's it! I swear!"

Kira whacked him upside the head and faced me. "Haven't you told him?"

"Told me what?" Daniel questioned, now rubbing the sore spot.

I sighed heavily. "The reason Keith left Dell City was because he wanted to become a police officer instead of a farmer. And you telling Mrs. Ferrell that you're the one who trained him, or at least assisted, must have offended her in some way."

A knock echoed throughout the room once more and Daniel jumped behind the bed before Kira rolled her eyes and opened the door. I froze in shock.

"Keith?" I asked, almost too loudly and the boy in the door-frame frowned. He looked so much like him, it was scary. Same sandy blonde hair, complimented by emerald eyes.

"No," he replied stiffly. "I'm Ky...Keith's younger brother..."

Kai looked up from the corner of the room and smiled. "Hey! I like the name! We should, like, totally form our own club, little dude. I can be Kai 1 and you can be Ky 2!"

Ky looked almost frightened before asking, "Kira...Why are there three older adults in your room?"

"We're trying to solve Keith's case," Kira sighed. "And oddly, these idiots thought I could help."

"And...You're meeting in your room because..."

Daniel popped up from behind the bed, causing Ky to jump, before stating, "Your mom would probably neuter me if I showed my face anywhere else in this house."

"And you are..."

"Oh!" Daniel pulled himself to his feet and approached Ky, his hand outstretched. "Daniel Fallon, Head Detective of the San Francisco Police Department and Kenna's older brother."

"Well, I'm officially weirded out," Ky grumbled before turning to leave. I caught sight of something bulky in his back pocket that glimmered. It was too unusual of a shape to be an iPod, or anything else you'd find in a teenage boy's pocket. But he moved too quickly before I could identify what the object was. "I'm going to hang out with...Krystal, down by ol' Sal's Kitchen. Kira, you're welcome to come. I bet it would be much more fun than hanging around with these..." He examined us before shaking his head. "Imbeciles."

Kira groaned. "You know I don't like Krystal, Ky! She's so...Odd! And I've seen a two-headed calf before."

Ky shrugged. "Suit yourself." He shut the door much nicer than Mrs. Ferrell and I listened as his footsteps tread down the hall. When he was completely gone, I leaned in towards Kira.

"Who's Krystal?" I asked, almost too eagerly.

"Sheesh, honey," Kira sighed, "you ain't jealous or nothin'...Are ya?"

"No! But seriously...Who is she?"

Kira shook her head. "Ky's new girlfriend. He met her at a high school party about a week before you arrived. She's such a creep, sometimes. She looks like she's stoned most of the time, and always talks about how revenge is essential in a broken relationship. She's like a fox in a hen-house; though my parents are too dimwitted to notice her creepiness."

Oscar looked up, concerned about this new piece of information. "Kira...Can you tell me what 'Krystal' looks like?"

When he said that, it seemed as though all—aside from Kira—knew what Oscar was pushing towards.

_Could it be?_

"Well..." Kira paused and then shrugged. "She's a pretty thing, I ain't gonna lie. Dirty blonde, straightened hair. Dark brown eyes. She's kind of lean, with a strong build; almost farmer-like. But she also looks like she hasn't slept in days. Like I said; stoned!"

Oscar jumped to his feet and headed towards the door. I stood up to stop him, but he turned around before any other action could be made.

"We've got to stop Ky...Before Kristen hurts him," he announced and the room fell deathly silent.


	14. Chapter 14

**I. Am. Exhausted.**

**So exhausted that I'm going to skip review replies today. But thank you to mozzi-girl, DizzyRedhead, and Crimson Endings for the reviews. I appreciate it! (Oh! And Tori...I gave you Mal! What more do you want, Husband Stealer!)**

**Anyways...:)**

**I barely got any sleep last night and school started up again this morning. Though school wasn't completely crap, I couldn't stop myself from almost falling asleep. In fact, it was a struggle to keep my eyes open at my orthodontist appointment today. And it didn't help that I was just sitting for an hour while the orthodontist dude was dealing with an emergency or whatever.**

**So...Yeah! **

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D I'll post again sometime soon! **

* * *

We ran down the stairs to the lower part of the house, in search for Ky. To Daniel's surprise, Mrs. Ferrell wasn't waiting with a rusty butcher knife as he predicted. Kira ran in behind us, cursing lightly. "I knew she was trouble," she growled.

Oscar weaved in and out of rooms on the first floor before shaking his head. "I couldn't find him. They must be long gone by now.

"Wait..." Amy said. "Where did they say they were headed?"

"Ol' Sal's Kitchen," Kira answered. "It's a fancy little mess hall down the street from here. It's about a five minute ride if you're traveling by car."

"Let's go then!" I commanded and my team and I ran out to where our car was stationed. A low hissing sound greeted us as we got closer to the vehicle.

"Oh no..." Daniel muttered. He knelt down by the wheel of the car and shook his head. "Someone slashed our tires," he exclaimed.

"There's no time to mourn the loss of the tires," Oscar growled and then faced Kira. "Does your family own a few horses that we could borrow?"

"You want what now?" Kira scoffed. "I ain't givin' your our horses!"

"Your brother is in _danger_, Kira. And so is your other brother, Keith. We _need _to catch this woman," I reminded her, trying to remain calm. It took all the strength I had not to punch her in the face.

She hesitated, which only ticked us off even more, before she nodded towards the barn. "Third stall. I want them back as soon as you catch her, you hear?"

There was no doubt to it. As soon as she confirmed our request, the five of us were already at the barn.

-C.O.D-

"I can't do this," Amy muttered, stepping away from a Chestnut mare. Kai had already hopped onto the creature's back and reached towards Amy. "I can wait here. I'll only slow you guys down."

Oscar's black mustang snorted. "Come on, you two! We've already wasted enough time."

Kai jumped from his horse and shook his head. "I'll stay here with Amy. She's kind of right, you know; we're only technicians. We'll slow you down."

"Whatever," I responded rather quickly and stole their horse. Daniel hopped on behind me and grabbed a hold of my waist. I was the only one—aside from my mother—who knew how to ride a horse. That was one of the many great things I inherited from her. "We'll be back as soon as we can," I assured my brother's in-laws before jabbing my heels into the side of our mare. It reared up, causing Daniel to screech in an unmanly fashion, and grip my waist tighter. Oscar and I directed our horses down the road, hoping to find some sign of Ky. I didn't know what Kira would do if she discovered that we let her brother fall into the hands of Kristen. It was already difficult enough going through that when she had Daniel. And although I didn't _like _Kira, I didn't want her to go through that.

When we reached Ol' Sal's, there was no sign of Ky or 'Krystal' anywhere; just a barren land, deprived of any life. The low buzz of the 'Open' sign at Sal's and the snorting of the horses were the only things heard.

"Where are they?" Oscar asked, shielding his eyes from the lowering sun. "They can't be gone already."

"You're right," a voice replied and my stomach dropped. I looked behind and there, with a shining pistol in her grip and Ky by her side, Kristen smirked. "Hello, Kenna. It's been a mighty long time since I've seen you."

"Kristen..." Daniel muttered. She smiled towards him.

"And you; still think you're doing the right thing by leaving me alone?" she snarled. "I've had to result to this bag of bones."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She shook her head. "You're so dimwitted. He's my minion now; since your brother so kindly left me to ROT!" She cocked the gun and pointed it towards Daniel.

"You ran off, Kristen," Daniel growled and jumped from the horse, revealing his own gun. Ky mimicked this and it was two against one. I looked towards Oscar as he frantically searched for a weapon that clearly wasn't there. I had left my 'friend' back at Keith's house. I jumped off the horse and ran towards Daniel. As I did so, Kristen's smile grew.

"Two for one," she called. "I like this offer."

"Daniel, we've got to leave," I growled, grasping his hand. He shook me off, keeping his gaze on Kristen and Ky.

"They're right there, Kenna," he responded lowly. "If we move, they'll just gun us down. Plus, if we can bring Kristen in, Keith's freedom is guaranteed."

I stopped trying to pull Daniel away. He nodded and aimed his gun towards Kristen. "You're still sick and twisted, huh?"

"I've never changed, Darling," Kristen responded slowly before nodding to Ky. He stepped forward.

"Drop to your knees, Fallon," he commanded and I was blown away by the strength he had in his voice. He was so quiet when I first met him. Then again...That's how Daniel was when Kristen first found him.

"No." Daniel growled and rested his finger on the trigger. "I want you to put _your _gun down and get away from that crazy lady."

Kristen smirked and shook her head. "He's young, Daniel; easy to manipulate. Any word you say will just pass over. Now do as he says."

"No!" Daniel grumbled and waved his gun towards them. "If you resist, I will shoot."

"That's the thing, Detective," Ky hissed as his finger rested above the trigger. "You need a cause; I just need a target."

_BANG! BANG!_

The horses whinnied and reared up. Oscar fell to the ground as if he weren't even trying to stay on. Kristen grabbed Ky's hand and pulled him along, dashing past us. She stole our horse and just like that, the two of them were already riding off into the horizon.

But they didn't matter.

What mattered was that there was a gaping bullet-wound in Oscar's chest.


	15. Chapter 15

**I just realized I have to write, like...ten stories by Tuesday. Son of a...**

**Anyway...Thanks for all the reviews, guys! (Molly, DizzyRedhead, and Tori!) I appreciate them.**

**I _was _going to watch Doctor Who, but since those stories are due in two days...**

**But I felt like I had to update today! I'm in an awesome mood, too, aside from having to go to school tomorrow. I've been back for two days already...I just...I just can't...**

**Thank you all for the support! I love you and stay safe! (Or as Kensley would say; Don't let the Boogeyman catch you on your daily schedule.) **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Keith ran out of his holding cell and tackled me into a hug, holding me tighter than ever.

"I'm so glad you came back," he whispered into my ear and I just held onto him.

After Oscar had been shot, Daniel and I rushed him to the nearest hospital. I left, not being one for sterilized buildings, and went to the station to request Keith's freedom, explaining that I had encountered Alaina's true killer. Through much arguing, Captain McNeill allowed his freedom and further assistance on the case.

"We've got to catch her, Keith," I muttered into his shirt. "Or she'll hurt someone else."

I hadn't told him about Ky yet. It would crush his heart to learn that his little brother was now running alongside a psycho killer.

"Everything is going to be alright, Kenna," he assured quietly. "I promise you."

"No Keith...It's not going to be _alright_," I mumbled and pulled away. "I don't think it'll ever be _alright_. My best friend is a murderer, my brother almost fell for her tricks and still isn't right in the head...And I almost lost you!"

Keith analyzed my expression before pulling me into another tight hug. "Whatever happens next, Kenna, I won't let you go through it alone." He pulled back and brushed my hair away from my eyes and smiled lightly. "We'll fight together."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Daniel barged in. When Keith saw him, he stepped away from me and tackled his friend into a manly man hug. Daniel looked a little startled at first, but returned the hug awkwardly. Previous memories of their friendship had been blurred.

"It's good to see you again, Fallon," Keith greeted and Daniel nodded.

"Ditto, Ferrell." Daniel looked past him and towards me. "Hey...Oscar's doing fine. He won't be able to leave for a few days, but he's conscious. The bullet just missed his lungs and heart."

"Bullet?" Keith asked and turned to me. "Oscar...As in Oscar Santos? The DA? He got _shot_?"

"It's..." I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to find the right words to say, without mentioning Ky. "It's a long story involving Kristen and her cronies."

Keith nodded and we began to walk out of the station. Once we had arrived back at the Ferrell homestead, Kira greeted us dully.

"You just missed Mom and Dad," she informed Keith. "They're on their anniversary dinner."

Keith only nodded and walked up the stairs to his room, Daniel and I in suit. "Oh!" Kira called, "the lab geeks are in your room! The dude tried to set my bed on fire."

And she was right. As soon as Keith opened his door, Kai and Amy jumped apart from what seemed like a _very close _embrace. Kai fumbled with the buttons on his shirt while Amy greeted us with a surprised smile.

"Keith! You're out!" she exclaimed.

"And just in time too," he responded and walked over to his closet. He threw it open and started digging around.

"Where's Oscarito?" Kai asked, looking behind Daniel and I.

"Oh..." Daniel began. "He...Uh..."

"He's in the hospital."

Amy looked up, alarmed. "Oh no! What happened?"

"Kristen," Keith replied dryly. "If they just trusted me the day I was convicted, none of this would've happened."

"This isn't your fault," Daniel assured. "Even if you were by our side, Oscar still would have gotten shot."

"What about Ky," Amy asked and Daniel and I shot her a glance that read, 'Don't Mention Him!' But the damage had been done.

Keith turned around. "What's wrong with Ky?"

"Nothing!" Kai responded. "I...Uh...Had a stomach virus earlier and..."

"Not you," Keith snapped, "my brother. Where is he?"

I looked towards Daniel, hoping he would explain the situation, but he shook his head slowly. I sighed and resumed my gaze towards Keith. "You...Might want to sit down for this one."

"I can take it," he challenged and I shrugged.

"Kristen has Ky...And there's a good chance that we won't be able to help him, like we did for Daniel."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello! ^^**

**I'mma skip review replies again. (Sorry!) But special thanks to mozzi-girl, Crimson Endings and DizzyRedhead. Thank you for taking time off your schedule to read and review! I appreciate it! :D**

**So, the reason for my delay is not because I haven't been writing. I wanted to write the next chapter before I posted this one, and when I hit severe writer's block, I just decided to release this, and then continue to work on the next chapter. I shouldn't be panicking so much because I no longer take Creative Writing or Film Literature (both classes required a lot of time out of my usual writing schedule), so I should be posting more, but I've just been...Eh, lately.**

**But second semester begins tomorrow, which means I'm halfway through the school year. (And to make things lighter, I had my last, fun B-Day today, and tomorrow is my first fun A-Day, which leads to a pain in the butt B-Day, so I get one last day to relax before everything takes a turn for the worst.)**

**But, yeah! That's what's been happening these last few days as I do absolutely nothing but laugh at my computer screen and achieve amazing migraines. **

**Onto the chapter!**

**It's a quick memory recall of what happened before Keith left, after he left, and before he comes back, and in Ky's P.O.V, which was really fun to write. ^^ **

**I'm starting to yawn, so I should sign off here! Thank you all for reading, and to those who review. I appreciate it more than you think. **

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

**You Are Now Ky Ferrell**

-Two Weeks Ago-

The news hits you hard; harder than when Keith left home so many years ago. You can't recall the exact date, but you remember your mother cursing after him as he stepped onto that bus. You remember your father shaking his head in disappointment, the muffled sobs of Kira, and the twins questioning about their older brother. Once the bus is gone, your family leaves too, leaving you to gaze at the dust trail left by the vehicle. You can just make out Keith's face in one of the windows and he waves one last time to you.

And now, you're informed by a strange man that Keith and his friend will be returning to the homestead while trying to solve a case. You don't want to admit it, but you're psyched. You decide not to tell your family, because you know that they'll only refuse and have Keith stay somewhere else. You hang up the phone and smile slightly. You walk to the door and open it. Before you step out, you call, "I'm headin' out to the field!"

"Alright, honey!" Your mother replies and you are out of that house that has been empty for quite some time.

The sun is setting over the horizon, casting stretched shadows among the corn field. The sky is painted with warm, welcoming colors, clouds gently rolling by in the comforting breeze. For the first time since before Keith announced his departure, you feel at peace.

_SNAP!_

You spin around, just in time to see a young woman standing a few feet away. Though she is an intruder, you can't help but notice how beautiful she appears in the setting sun. Her blonde hair is wavy and her makeup is a little smudged. She pants heavily, but smiles when you make eye contact. You notice that her eyes are a deliciously dark brown, catching the sun's final rays for the day.

"Hello!" she greets and you smile subconsciously. She starts to approach, yet, you're still captivated by her beauty. "I can't find my way home and when I saw you roaming this field, you looked like you knew the place." Her accent is not from here.

"Uh...Well..." You shake your head and regather your emotionless composure. "Depends on where you're headin'."

She grins. "Well...I could use a hotel room." She outstretches her hand and urges you to take it, an action you perform shortly after. "I'm Krystal, by the way. What's your name?"

"K-Ky," you respond quietly and she laughs and walks closer beside you—So close, your shoulders are touching.

"Well, K-Ky," she teases, "maybe you could show me around Dell City. After all...I need to know the area a bit more."

"Why so?" you ask and she hesitates before replying.

"I'm taking a college course near by and I'm going to be here for a few years. I'm glad I met you, though." She gently places a kiss on your cheek and the rush of the oncoming blush attacks you. You look towards her and she smiles once more. She gets on her tip-toes so she's about the same height you and leans in. You've never had a girlfriend, so the thought of kissing is almost nightmarish. Just before your lips brush, you feel a sharp prick against your hand and pull away. You stumble backwards and look at your now bleeding hand. Instantly, a wave of fatigue hits you and the floor is quick to greet your face. The last thing you see before completely blacking out is Krystal kneeling down and smiling.

-C.O.D-

When you wake up, you notice you're in an elaborate hotel room, lying on a plush bed. You sit up, fighting against your pounding head. You look around, examining the room to its fullest.

A flat screen TV is attached to the wall. A news broadcast plays without sound. The room leads straight to a bathroom area and a small sitting area. The upholstery on the couches and chairs match the bed's odd pattern. It is still dark outside; your parents must think you're still wondering about. You didn't notice it before, but a shower is stopped and a soft humming fills the air. Your mind drifts back to the girl in the cornfield and you jump up from the bed. Your head spins, but your persist and make your way towards the door. Your attempt to open the door fails as the handle jiggles uselessly. After a few minutes of trying to escape, you sit back on a couch and look up at the ceiling, fearing the worst.

The bathroom door creaks open and the beautiful girl, Krystal, steps out. Her hair is darker, now that it's wet, but it's still wavy. She is dressed casually, and she runs her hand through her hair and continues humming, as if oblivious to your presence. You begin to think that maybe this is just a dream, but when Krystal turns to smile at you, you realize that this is much more.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," she says and walks over to the couch. "You feeling better?"

"Better?" You ask, wondering what she meant.

"You just blacked out in the field yesterday. I tried to get inside your house to warn your parents, but they wouldn't answer. So I took their car and drove to this hotel."

Your eyes widen. "You stole my parent's car?"

"The keys were just on the porch, silly!" She takes a seat next to you and her smile falters. "Ky...There's something I need to ask you."

You sit up a little straighter and look her directly in the eye. "What is it?"

"Do you ever want to just...Seek revenge on someone who's wronged you?"

Your mind flashes back to all of those elementary and junior high years. Bullies threw insults, punches and you into the trash can several times when you were younger, and constantly, you thought of doing the same thing. But Keith would always tell you the same thing, 'It may seem like a good idea to get revenge on someone at the time of the wrong-doing...But once it happens, you'll regret it.' You are thrust back into reality when Krystal grips your hand. "Well?"

"Often times...Yes," you reply dully. "But I never got close to initiating a plan."

"Well...Someone has really wronged me in the past. He tried to kill me when I was hanging out with his best friend. Ky...I know you're a strong guy...I need help getting my revenge."

"On who?"

"Your brother...Keith."

You stand up once more, the pain in your head now a dull throb. No...You are not going to hurt your brother, the one reason why you've stayed alive this long. But then again...She said he tried to kill her. This couldn't possibly be.

"Keith wouldn't kill anyone," you retort, and Krystal scoffs.

"Well, he most certainly tried to kill me. Listen, Ky...I like you enough to trust you with my secrets. I need help on this. I promise we won't _severely _hurt your brother; just teach him a lesson."

"I still don't believe you; that he tried to kill you."

"But he did. There was a news story all about it." She steps closer and you can see the glint of a shiny object in her hand. "I need you to believe me." Without warning, she jumps towards you and jabs the object into your neck. You sputter lightly, mainly in surprise. You reach up and your fingers brush against a tranquilizer dart. The room spins around you and the world goes dark for the second time.

This abuse continues for hours until you are fully convinced of your brother's evil. Krystal reveals that she is actually Kristen Redbird, the runaway criminal and she brings in her boyfriend, Andy Gillum, another criminal. They teach you their ways until night falls the following day, then they return you and the stolen car, back to your home, where your parents welcome you with worried expressions. After the obnoxious hugging, you lock yourself in your room and quietly await the arrival for Keith. You cook up your plans for revenge for the beautiful girl you met in the field.

And when Keith finally does arrive, and with his girlfriend, you realize how perfectly your plan will work, since Kristen had also mentioned this girl traveling alongside your brother. She had also tried to kill Kristen and deserved punishment as well. That night, after Keith and Kenna have settled down, you call up Kristen and discuss your latest plan; to kill off Keith's previous girlfriends, starting with Talia, and then Alaina. And hopefully, Kenna will accidentally make her way into the list.


	17. Chapter 17

**Do you ever get writer's block, then take a shower, think of the story, and suddenly, for two days straight, you're writing?**

**Yeah, that's what happened. So...I wrote four chapters over the course of two days and I'm already working on the ending of this story. And I added this amazing part that's just...Amazing. :D And incredibly cheesy. That's pretty much how this story will be for the next few days; Cheesy.**

**Thank you Crimson Endings for the review. :) And I still can't get over the fact that I'm 3 years older (right? 3 years?) and you're freakin taller than me. I actually think I'm done growing, to be fairly honest. ^^' Oh joy!**

**Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read, and thank you for the constant support that you guys provide. I love you all and I hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

Keith's jaw dropped slightly.

"I know, that should have been the first thing that came out of my mouth but..."

"She has Ky..." Keith muttered and I nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Keith looked up. "That's all? I mean, you saw him in person. You could have captured him."

"Oscar had been shot," Daniel reminded, his anger level rising next to Keith's.

"But he's okay," Keith growled. "Ky isn't. That crazy lady could kill him at any moment, Daniel. She sparred you because you were such an idiot."

Daniel scoffed. "Me? An idiot? You're talking to the Head Detective of the San Francisco Police Department!"

"Well, yeah! You only gained that title because your dad felt sorry for you!"

"Keith," I muttered, but the fight continued.

"So, being naturally good doesn't work anymore?" Daniel scoffed. "Maybe that's why you're dating Kenna; just to get on my dad's good side."

"And I guess just loving someone, no matter who their parents are, doesn't work anymore either." Keith walked to the door.

"Keith, wait!" I called out.

"Of course you try to defend the injured dog," Daniel hissed and I turned to face him. As I did this, Keith had already exited the room and jumped down the steps. The front door slammed shut and I cringed.

"Why do you do this?" I asked.

"I was defending you, Kenna. He's nothing but a lying, cheating..."

"He's your best friend!"

Daniel hesitated. "Not anymore." He, too, also walked out of the room and slammed Keith's door shut. For a moment, I stood there, appalled by what had happened. Amy reached over to grab my shoulders and I pulled away.

"It's not your fault," Kai assured.

"They're acting like children," Amy added.

"Then why do I feel so awful," I growled before exiting the room. I took my time making it to the first floor. Kira was sitting at the table, reading over a newspaper, an apple in one hand.

"Boy troubles?" she asked and I ignored her. I left the house, and walked out to the golden fields. A late summer breeze hung leisurely in the air. If I wasn't so upset, I probably would have enjoyed this moment. I made my way to the barn that I had visited earlier in my stay. When I looked in, I didn't see Keith, but his little brothers, Kevin and Kyle. They snickered lightly as the tied some string around a sleeping sheep's foot.

"What are you two doing?" I asked and they jumped, disturbing the sheep. The animal jumped to its feet and began trotting away, dragging another sheep with it. The twins smirked before looking up at me.

"Hiya!" one greeted cheerfully.

"What'cha doin' in the barn?" the other asked.

I shook my head, abandoning my first question and said, "Have you two seen Keith around here?"

"Yeah!" one of the twins exclaimed and pointed towards the road. "He went for a walk. Another boy came out of the house and went the other way. I'll lend you a horse for twenty bucks to go get them."

I looked down at him and then shook my head. "That's fine, I'll walk."

"Oh come on!" the twin whined, but I ignored his calls and walked down the road. I could see a figure just across the horizon, walking, head down. I ran towards him, calling his name.

"Keith!"

The figure turned around and I smiled. He stopped walking just so I could catch up and pull him into a hug, which he returned weakly.

"Shouldn't you be going after your brother?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Daniel can handle himself. What I care about right now is you."

He smiled lightly. "Glad to know."

"It's true. I should have told you the first second you got out of the cell. Your family is in trouble and so far, I haven't been much help. You assisted in solving Daniel's case...I should return the favor."

"It's not that, Kenna," Keith replied and shook his head. "Ky's so...Vulnerable. When he was younger, he was picked on all the time and I got in trouble for defending him on multiple occasions. He hasn't changed much and if someone can just push him a little over the edge...He'll perform their will. Mom told me that he had gone past curfew before we arrived and I should have taken that as a warning that something had gone wrong. But...I was clueless." Keith hung his head and I rested my hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. He looked towards me and smiled. "And what Daniel said wasn't true; I love you because of the person you are, not because of your father's status. Plus, you're one hell of a temporary cop."

I laughed and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder, slowly rocking back and forth. "We're going to save Ky," I replied quietly. "I promise that much. Whatever it takes, we're not letting Kristen keep him."

"Right," he agreed softly. For a moment, we stood there, embracing the silence. Finally, he spoke up. "We should probably head back. We've got a long day tomorrow and if we're going to catch Kristen...We need to be alert."

"True." He released me from our hug, but kept my hand clasped within his. We started walking down the street, towards his home. "Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...Come into your room tonight?" It was hard to make it sound like I didn't want to do anything further than just cuddle and sleep by Keith's side. "I've missed you."

He smirked and squeezed my hand. "I thought you'd never ask."


	18. Chapter 18

**We're getting to some of my favorite chapters. :)**

**Again, no replies today, but thank you mozzi-girl, DizzyRedhead, and Crimson Endings. :D**

**I have a test to study for, so I won't take too long, but...**

**Thank you for all of the continued support. It's going to get a little rough over this semester, and I know my updating will falter, but I'm glad I have all of you to cheer me on and compliment my 'works of art'. :D**

**Again, Thank you! I'll update again on Saturday! (Around 10PM or 11PM Mountain Time-US)**

**Please enjoy! :D**

* * *

We both woke up to the sound of Daniel shouting outside Keith's door. I groaned and hid my face with a pillow, trying to block out the noise, but he kept persisting.

"Kenna! Get your butt out of bed and come here!"

Keith grumbled under his breath and sat up. "I'll get it," he said and stood up. The floorboards creaked as he made his way to his door and opened it. "What do you want?"

"You're not Kenna," Daniel replied coldly. "I want Kenna."

"Yeah, well she's sleeping," Keith replied and tried to slam the door shut, but Daniel caught it.

"Give. Me. My. Sister."

Keith examined Daniel before turning towards me. "Kenna..."

"Five...Minutes..." I replied.

Daniel scoffed and pushed his way into the room. He went over to the bed and ripped the covers off me. When Keith and I returned last night, we were too exhausted to actually change, so I was still in my outfit from yesterday. I covered my eyes from the intruding light. "What do you want?"

"Mom and Dad are here," he said quickly. Almost too quickly. I sat up instantly and looked him in they eye.

"Mom and Dad...As in...Natara and Mal?"

"Who else would I be calling Mom and Dad." He gripped my arm and yanked me upwards.

"Hey!" Keith growled. "Don't treat her like that."

"Family relations," Daniel scoffed, "you wouldn't understand." And without a further exchange of words, he pulled me out into the hall and I was attacked...With hugs.

"Kenna!" my mom cried and tightened the embrace to a point where I could hardly breathe. "You're okay!"

"Of course," I replied, breathing in as much air as my mother would allow, "I'm alive! You guys act like I died or something."

"We heard about Oscar," my dad informed. "And we were worried that something...had happened to you." He looked towards Daniel, who nodded slightly, as if in code. "But what matters now is that you're here. You're alive."

Amy and Kai appeared in the hallway, rubbing their eyes. "What is going on here?" Amy asked, half-yawning.

"Yeah," Kai added. "We heard yelling and..." He stopped when he saw my parents. "Maligator! Agent Hottie Boom Bottie! What are you two crazy love birds doing in Dell City at," he checked his watch, "seven-thirty in the morning?"

I groaned. Was it really that early? I would get Daniel back later.

"Family matters," my mom replied. "Say, why don't you two head down to the hospital and check on Oscar; make sure he's okay."

"But Natara..." Kai whined.

"Do as she says," my dad commanded and the half-asleep couple slowly returned to their room to begin getting ready. Once the hall was empty again, my dad grabbed my arm. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad," I replied. "What's with all the questions? I'm perfectly fine! In fact, Keith and I were going to track down Kristen today."

My parents shared one of those looks that only they understood. "Why don't you go get ready and meet us in the kitchen," my mom said, "alright?"

I shrugged and opened the door to Keith's room, he was already pulling on a suit jacket and running one hand through his messy hair. "Alright!" I called over my shoulder and shut the door before they could respond.

"What's up?" Keith asked, turning to me.

I slumped against the door and sighed. "I think I'm in trouble..."

-C.O.D-

About half an hour later, Keith and I joined my parents and his parents down in the dining area.

Let me just get this straight; it was awkward enough when Kai learned that our family would become bonded after Daniel and Angie's marriage. But it wasn't as awkward when my parents met Keith's parents.

My parents sat at the table, both sharing glances as Mrs. Ferrell circled them; much like a panther stalking its prey. Mr. Ferrell held a newspaper up so his face was masked within meaningless headlines.

"You think you can just come a-walkin' into my home without my permission? Your daughter already did that, along with her little friends. Does this run in the family? Huh?"

"We're just here for the day," my mother assured, and Mrs. Ferrell got up in her face. My mom cringed visibly.

"For the day! Oh really now! So breakin' into my home means nothin' because you're just here for one...more...day..."

"Mom," Keith muttered and Mrs. Ferrell looked up towards us. My mom relaxed, but only a little.

"What do you want, boy?" Mrs. Ferrell snapped.

"Don't pester my girlfriend's parents," Keith commanded. "Now go feed the pigs or something."

Mrs. Ferrell scoffed and walked out of the kitchen, Mr. Ferrell slowly following behind. That's when my mom fully relaxed.

"Sheesh," my dad murmured, "I haven't been interrogated like that since I met Sandra's parents."

"You should try meeting Shawn's mother," my mom added and shook her head. "She was on something, I swear."

I took a seat and Keith joined me. "Well...You guys wanted to talk...Let's talk."

They looked at me, then to Keith, then back to me. "Keith, can we talk to our daughter...Alone?"

"Whatever you tell me will go straight to him anyway," I informed. "So you might as well tell me now."

Both of them sighed, knowing that they couldn't further convince me.

"Alright," my dad muttered, then pointed to Keith, "but don't you dare try to interfere, Detective."

"Yes, Sir," Keith said, nodding his head.

"Well?" I asked.

My parents were silent again before finally responding,

"Kenna...You're coming home."


	19. Chapter 19

**I semi-regret writing the ending to this chapter, but, hey, I need some extra drama to keep me interested. (And I'm too lazy to change it. ^^' )**

**Sorry the update's a little...Later than usual. A lot of unexpected, yet pretty amazing things happened today, but at least I updated. :D And I'll most likely update again between Monday Morning and Tuesday night. **

**No time for review replies today, but thank you, DizzyRedhead, mozzi-girl, and Crimson Endings for the FANTASTIC reviews. You guys make me smile. :D**

**I love you all! :D **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

My stomach dropped. "What?!"

My mom placed her hand on top of mine. "I know you don't want to, but it's law."

"Law? What law?" I asked, standing up. "The law was alright with me coming here in the first place."

"Kenna," my dad began, "sit down..."

"No! Not until you tell me why I can't be here anymore!"

My dad stood up and shook his head. "I told you she'd act like this, Natara," he growled and my mom rolled her eyes.

"Of course she would, and I don't blame her." My mom also stood up and looked towards me. "Kenna, you were just a temporary worker; _temporary_. I know you don't want this, and believe me, it was hard for your father and I just to tell you this, but we've got to go home."

"Why?" I asked.

"Now that Daniel's here, he and Detective Ferrell will be working on the case," my dad responded.

"But Daniel doesn't know anything about the case. He was a victim!"

"We're going home and that's final!" my dad shouted and slammed his fist on the table. The room fell deathly silent and I could just feel the tears start to well up. _No Kenna. Don't cry. It'll only show weakness. You're not weak..._

"Go up and pack," my dad muttered. "Be down here in fifteen minutes."

I didn't argue back this time. I slowly walked out of the kitchen, Keith following behind. I was surprised he was able to keep quiet. He slipped his hand into mine and we walked into his room. As he shut the door, I broke down.

"It's not fair," I cried, and dropped to my knees. He held me close and rocked me slowly.

"It isn't," he agreed. "I don't want you to leave, Kenna."

"And I don't want to lose you again!"

We sat in silence for the next few minutes—minus my sobbing. When I was finally able to compose myself into a blubbering mess, I stood up and walked to the door. All of my things were still in Kira's room. Keith accompanied me on my walk and even helped me pack a few things. Amy and Kai, as they were walking out to go check on Oscar, stopped by the room and questioned me about my appearance, but Keith gently waved them off.

When I had finished, I didn't dare move. Moving meant I would have to go downstairs. Going downstairs would mean that I would be with my parents. Being with my parents meant that I would be going home. And going home meant that I would just be the same, old Kenna, who cleaned dog kennels and waited anxiously for Keith to get off work.

"I'll be back in San Francisco in no time," he assured, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I love you, Kenna."

"I love you too, Keith," I replied and pulled away. He bent down to grab my bag and we made our way outside, where my parents were waiting by a rental car. When my dad caught sight of us, he looked away. My mom gave me a sad smile and walked over to open the trunk. Keith placed my luggage in the back and opened the back door for me to get in.

"I'll see you soon, alright?" he said as I stepped in.

"Alright."

He leaned down to kiss me, but we were interrupted by my dad clearing his throat. He looked at us through the mirror and I sighed.

"I guess that means we should leave," I replied and he nodded.

"Alright. But Kenna, before you go..."

"Yeah?"

He leaned in closer and my dad cleared his throat again. Keith ignored him.

"When I come back to San Francisco, how about you and I get married?"

My jaw dropped slightly and I smiled for the first time since I had received the news of my home-coming. It wasn't the proper way to propose, but then again, Keith never did anything the 'proper' way.

"I-I'd like that," I replied softly and he smiled.

"I can't wait then," he said and straightened up. "Have a good flight, Mr. and Mrs. Fallon!"

He stepped away from the car as my dad pulled out. As we drove off, I looked back at him and a sudden realization crossed my mind.

"I'm getting married...To someone I haven't dated that long."


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't have time for replies today, but thank you to mozzi-girl, DizzyRedhead, and Crimson Endings for the support!**

**And, alas, more cheesiness. But I can assure you the next chapter is gonna be good. :D**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The plane ride wasn't long, thank goodness. My dad semi-apologized for his off behavior, and then got flustered again when I reported that I had accepted Keith's proposal. My mom let out a very un-Natara-like squeal and pulled me close. (I even got a few congratulations from the passengers on the plane.) But my dad just shook his head.

"You two just started dating," he said, "is this going to turn out like that one boy you dated, but shortly left after infidelity, or whatever?"

My dad had always been one to make sure we really loved the person we were dating. He had gone through a messy divorce prior to marrying our mom, and didn't want us to experience the same thing.

"Dad..." I began and my mom cut in.

"I think Keith is a sweet boy," she said and smiled. "I'm glad we're adding him into our family." She then grabbed my hands, "Have you decided any of the wedding plans yet?"

"Mom, he proposed just two hours ago. And I haven't seen him since. Do you really think we have even the colors planned out?"

"Well, Keith isn't going to help you pick the colors, hun," my mom said and then squealed lightly again. "Mal, our Miracle Baby is getting married!"

Dad cringed and sighed. "We're almost to San Francisco, Nat. Why don't you call Jay Lynn and tell her."

-C.O.D-

Jay Lynn tackled me the moment I stepped into our house.

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?!" She squealed even louder than mom had and tightened her hug. "I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, KENNA!"

"Inside-Voice," my dad muttered, walking past us. He should know that Jay Lynn lacks an inside voice.

"Isn't it exciting?" my mom asked. "Keith is going to be your brother-in-law."

"I've always liked Keith," Jay Lynn said. "But I'm also glad you're home, Kenna. How was the case? Is Kristen behind bars?"

My stomach dropped again. I was happy to temporarily forget the case, and now the feeling of failure washed over me. "I'm going to my room," I muttered quietly and pushed past my sister, crossing through the kitchen, where Angie was talking to my mom, and up the stairs into my room.

I didn't come out until later that night. I slowly made my way down the stairs and saw my dad, sitting at the kitchen table, studying a case file. He was the only person in the room. I jumped off the last step and joined his side.

"Hey Dad," I greeted softly. "What are you looking at?"

"A case filed by Blaise," he responded. "Someone has been breaking into famous restaurants and taking some of the valuable decorations. Blaise has an idea of who it might be, but..."

"Dad," I interrupted and he sighed.

"Yes, Kenna?"

"Are you really okay?"

This stumped him. He looked up at me with his bright, blue eyes. "Why?"

I took a seat next to him and clasped my hands together. "You were upset when I mentioned Keith's proposal..."

"You're so young, Kenna."

"You got married at 19," I informed and he shrugged.

"And that marriage ended in divorce," he corrected and shook his head. "And, you've only dated this man for a month, right?"

"Somewhere around there...But you trusted him enough to watch over Daniel. And he saved my life. If that doesn't scream love, then I don't know what does."

My dad rubbed his temples. "He is a good man, Kenna. I just...It's so early and..." He shook his head. "Forget it, alright?"

It clicked. Of course! That's why he was so upset about the proposal.

"You don't want me to grow up," I stated and he looked towards me. "That's it, isn't it. I'm still your little princess." I smiled and took his hands in mine. "Dad...Daddy, I will never stop being your little girl."

My dad smiled back. "And I'll never stop being your 'Daddy', no matter what."

He pulled me into a hug and I felt a wave of peace rush over me. When he pulled back, he cleared his throat and placed the papers of the case file back in their manilla folder. "You should probably head to bed before Jay Lynn tackles you again." He stood up and winced, holding a hand against his back.

"Dad?"

"I'm alright," he replied and then chuckled. "Just back pain."

And yet, another pang of fear hit me;

My parents were getting old.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello, my friends! :D**

**I keep saying this, but I don't have time for review replies again. -.- I am so sorry! I read every single one and I love hearing from you all. A special thank you to DizzyRedhead, Crimson Endings and mozzi-girl for sending in reviews! I really do appreciate it! Especially since the chapters have been rushed.**

**Not much to really announce. I am going to work on a video request, so that should be out by Friday Night/Saturday Morning. **

**I might not be able to post again until Sunday Night or Monday Night. I'm editing the video, doing some absent homework, and on Saturday, I might actually be going to see Rise of the Guardians, which I am totally excited about! :D (I was able to convince my mom.) And I might be going to a hair appointment. ^^ And Sunday...I have late church, which sucks and prevents me from doing anything fun. But Monday is looking good, since it's an A-Day. :D**

**Holy heck, tomorrow is Friday. TGIF! I really need a break...**

**Anyways, thank you for reading guys, I appreciate it. I'll update my profile with story and video updates soon! **

**Have a fantastic weekend and please enjoy! :D**

* * *

**You Are Now Kristen Redbird**

You pace anxiously in a dimly lit room. You are surrounded by what appears to be ten masses all chained to the cement floor. You cannot see their faces as a whole, because of the dim lighting, but when you focus on one, particularly the one in the middle, you can see the fear etched into the face.

A man rushes in, his curly hair flattened by the night's rain shower. He shakes his head quickly.

"I couldn't find her, or the parents," he reports and gets on one knee.

"What do you mean you couldn't find her?" you demand, raising your hand, preparing for a beating.

"I looked at the Ferrell homestead, at the station, even at the hospital where the Defense Attorney is being held...But there was no sign of Kenna Fallon."

You curse under your breath and turn to the middle figure. "Where did she go?" you growl, but the figure remains silent, testing your limited patience. "I said, WHERE DID SHE GO?!"

"You're not getting the answers out of me," the figure responds coldly. "And I doubt you're going to get your answer from the rest of us too."

You think upon his words and then smile. You walk over to one of the desks littered around the room and pick up a glittering blade. Slowly, you make your way towards the youngest of your captives, a small fiery red head. He gulps, but doesn't attempt to run. "Then I'll just have to dig the answer out," you whisper, raising the knife. "One cut at a time." And still, the child doesn't flinch. You wait for an answer, the words that will save this boy's life, and nothing comes. You begin to bring down the knife when another figure shouts,

"Stop! I'll tell you!"

Before the knife even connects with the child's skin, you stop and look towards the source. He's a lankier fellow, and you despise his presence more than anything in the world.

"Where is she?" you demand and approach him, placing the knife against his throat. "Tell me!"

"Where else would Kenna go to?" the figure snarls. "The only home she has is in San Francisco. The best place to actually find her is the Kennels by the SFPD."

You turn towards the man who entered the room earlier. "Did you get that, Andy?" you question, and your boyfriend nods quickly. "Good. Catch the earliest flight to San Francisco. The sooner you bring in Kenna, the more time these idiots have to live."

Andy nods and leaves you with your captives. The middle one is trying to assault the one who gave you the information. One of the adults is trying to hush the two, and another is belting out curses and trying to slap one of the fighting men, but her chains hold her down.

"Enough!" you shout and the bickering dies down. The middle one is panting and the one he was trying to murder glares at you. You smile and decide to approach him. Slowly, you kneel to his height and he tries to headbutt you, but you're too quick. "Why so tense, Sweetie?"

The figure pants heavier now, and the dim light reflects his face. Dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes. A little stubble rests here and there, but the most recognizable feature, to you at least, is a small scar, running from his left eyebrow to the bottom of his eye. You remember that night; the night you fooled him into coming into your apartment in the Caribbean. You beat him for hours before he saw the truth. When you returned him to his wife, he canceled the rest of the vacation and left back to San Francisco to help spread your Mistress's word.

But the man beside him, the middle one, ruined that opportunity and stole _your _gospel. That's why you were so focused on terminating him, as well as the others that rest in the room. All had a part in ruining your plans; they were all stains that needed to be washed away. If the cleaning didn't work properly, then the only thing left was to remove the tainted fabric from existence. And that's what you planned to do as soon as Kenna arrived.

"Kenna's smart," the middle one hisses and you throw your head back and laugh.

"She is anything, but that," you reply coldly, and return your focus on the one who betrayed Kenna. "However, Sweetie, I must ask a question; you betray someone of great importance to you, you betray them, and you still _refuse _to join my army?"

"I didn't betray Kenna," the figure hisses and spits at you. Unfortunately, you don't quite dodge this offense and you cringe in disgust. "Kenna is intelligent, and she'll see through your tricks."

You wipe the saliva from your face and stand up. "She's related to you, Daniel. She can't be that intelligent." You wave towards a guard at the entrance. "Give them all at least thirty minutes. If they're still conscious...Go to an hour."

"Yes, Ma'am," the guard replies and steps into the room as you slide out. The last thing you see are the frightened expressions of Keith, Daniel, Kira, Kevin, Kyle, Mr. Ferrell, Mrs. Ferrell, Amy, Kai, and Captain McNeill.

Then, the door closes and shrieks ring out. You smile.


	22. Chapter 22

**I have an essay to write, so I'll make it short.**

**Thank you Molly and Tori for the replies. I really appreciate it. **

**The story is starting to drag on, isn't it? I'm going to try to wrap up within the next few chapters.**

**Thanks for the support! And please enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling confused.

_Where am I? Where's Keith? Why isn't Mrs. Ferrell tearing us from our bed?_

Oh.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. As soon as I stopped, I jumped back and nearly screamed.

"Hello!" Jay Lynn greeted cheerfully. She sat at the edge of my bed, smiling widely, with a bulky notebook in her hands as well as a few sheets of decorated construction paper.

"Jay!" I growled. "Don't do that to me! If I had my gun, I would've shot you!"

She rolled her eyes and scooted closer. "So, Kenna, mom told me you hadn't planned anything yet and since Daniel refused to let me even go near his wedding plans, I thought my sister would be awesome enough to let me take care of it..."

As she rambled on, showing pictures she had sketched, I grabbed my phone from my bed-side. I unlocked it and frowned. _No new texts. That's odd. Keith would have at least texted me by now..._

"...And we can hire Bill Nye to do tricks for us! Doesn't this already sound fantastic?"

"That's cute, Jay Lynn, but I gotta go." I jumped from my bed and walked to my closet, searching for my old Kennel badge.

"Where to?" Jay Lynn questioned, joining my side as I pulled out the ID card.

"To the Kennels," I replied and started pushing her out. "I no longer work for the police department, so I might as well make myself useful."

-C.O.D-

The Kennels were nice, considering they were over-flowing with all sorts of dogs and cats. My manager, a young blonde named Eliza, nearly tackled me with a hug when I entered.

"I heard you were at the hospital," she cried out. "Are you okay?"

I smiled and hugged her back weakly. "Yeah, I'm just fine. Just a little incident on the Golden Gate Bridge."

"I heard about that!" Eliza exclaimed. "And that handsome, young man...What was his name? Will Ferrell?"

"Keith," I corrected with a smile. "Yeah, he was the one responsible for saving me."

"Well, I hope he got a date out of that one," she said, and started walking back to her desk. I decided to keep our sudden engagement quiet.

"Hey, I'm going to go back and re-vist my old friends," I said and Eliza nodded. I pushed through a glass door leading down a dark corridor. There was a flight of stairs at the end that led to the Kennels below. I heard the dogs barking and cats hissing. I had missed these sounds. I almost forgotten what it was like to be a kennel worker.

"Hey guys!" I greeted, as soon as I jumped down the last step. The dogs went wild, trying to paw their way through the cages. Some were jumping up to get a better look, and most were wagging their tails. A young, yellow lab was the first to catch my eye.

"Harley!" I said and ran to his cage.

Harley was sick the last time I saw him. He was almost euthanized, so when I left, I was unsure of his survival. But seeing him alive and happy, it made me feel a little better about leaving Texas. He barked and jumped onto the cage, so he was almost as tall as me. "Hey boy! You're looking good."

I opened the cage and he bounded out, dashing across the room to the flight of stairs and turning bac to look at me. He whined lightly and I smiled. I was about to walk towards him when I heard footsteps coming from the top of the stairs and a voice.

"...Well behaved dogs," Eliza said. She must have been talking to a customer. I urged Harley to come back to my side and as soon as he was, I clipped a leash to his collar.

"I'm sure one dog will work fabulously with my kids," a man responded and the two started making their way down to the Kennels.

"Kenna!" Eliza greeted as they walked into the kennels. "Mr. Thompson is looking for a family friendly dog. Do you have any young kids, Mr. Thompson?"

I looked at the man who wished to buy the dog. He looked vaguely familiar. Was he one of my teachers back in Junior High? Was he an old, family-friend that we lost contact with?

His blonde hair was curled and his skin glowed palely. His eyes were a brilliant ocean-blue and he didn't seem like much trouble.

"Two three year old girls," Mr. Thompson responded and Eliza nodded.

"Think you can handle this one, Kenna?" she asked and I nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied and Eliza smiled before heading up the stairs. Mr. Thompson strolled over to one of the cages and bent down, staring at a Russian Blue cat.

"Tiger," he read the name, "kind of generic, isn't it?"

"I don't decide the names," I informed. "I just take care of the pets."

"Well, rumor has it, Ms. Fallon, that you haven't been taking care of the pets for the last few days."

I swallowed heavily. "How...How do you know my name?"

He turned around and pulled out a badge from his pocket. "Dell City Police Department," he responded and replaced the badge. "Ms. Fallon, can we talk in a more...Private room."

"Here will do," I muttered and the man hesitated before nodding shortly.

"Alright. But what you are about to hear and see is top secret." He pulled me further away from the stairs and his voice dropped to a low whisper. "Yesterday morning, we noticed that Keith Ferrell never returned to the department. So, we decided to check his house and the whole place was a wreck." He pulled out a few pictures and passed them to me. They looked pretty legit. Mrs. Ferrell's kitchen table had lost two of its legs and the tile floor was covered in dark stains. Some of the pictures that had hung on the walls had fallen and some remained on the wall, but with cracks decorated the delicate glass.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered and he returned the pictures.

"That's just the beginning. Captain McNeill never came to the station, either. We called his wife and she reported that he had left hours before our call. Kenna...Daniel, Kai, and Amy have also gone missing."

My stomach dropped and I leaned against the wall. "Kristen...Redbird," I muttered and Mr. Thompson nodded.

"Unfortunately. And you're the last one who's still present who worked on her case."

"I can't leave San Francisco though," I said, "it's law."

"Oh really, now?" Mr. Thompson scoffed. "I looked over the rule book on my flight here and there is nothing against having one person who saw the actual killer and was victimized by the killer, work on the case."

"What about my parents? They won't send me back either way."

"Think, Kenna. You have resources all around you. And since you're probably still hung over from sleeping, I'll give you a hint; Jay Lynn. She may seem like that one popular girl who tries to get all the boys, but she's also intelligent."

"How did you know about..."

"That doesn't matter, Kenna. Your friends' lives are at stake here. You can either fight back, using your resources, or sit down and wait until they deliver all of their coffins back home."

The door upstairs opened, and Mr. Thompson stepped away, straightening his crimson tie. "I'm heading off, Kenna. But promise me you won't quit out on us." He turned to walk away and I stopped him.

"Wait...How did you know where to find me?"

He smiled lightly. "Where else would a wronged police officer be? Meet me at the airport tomorrow night." And he walked up the rest of the stairs and I slowly sat down, sliding against the wall. When Eliza came down with a customer, she saw me and stopped in her tracks.

"Kenna...Are you alright?" she asked, and I nodded weakly.

"Eliza...Can...Can I take the rest of the day off?"

The customer looked back and forth between us before Eliza nodded and I pulled myself up and walked out of there without saying a 'good-bye', even though, in my gut, I knew that might be my last word exchange between my manager.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello! :D**

**I just want to thank you guys for the reviews. :D I really do appreciate and read every one of them. **

**I am going to try to update every other day, since I am pretty far into the story. **

**And just a short note; I've only been through the airport process once, and that was over 7 years ago. I don't remember much aside from eating crab, and fighting with my cousin over whose teddy bear gets the middle seat. So all that airport check in stuff; I don't think I even went through it. I still don't remember a lot of what happened, so don't blame me if my information sucks. ^^**

**I have to go. It's a blizzard outside and yet, I'm still going to school. (We wanted snow so badly last year, and I guess this is Mother Nature's way of saying, 'Screw you! You don't control the weather, motherf-' Yeah, you get it. ^^')**

**Thank you all for taking time to read and please enjoy!**

* * *

"So...What you're saying is, Daniel, Keith, Keith's family, your temporary captain, and Amy and Kai are being held hostage by Jeremy and Blaise's daughter?" Jay Lynn questioned and I nodded frantically.

We were sitting on the floor of her room. Covering her dressers were stacks of old boxes that were labeled, _Juniors First Chem Set _or _Forensic Technician Kit _and from those boxes, beakers and crime scene tape were placed randomly about the room. Crime scene sketches lay across Jay Lynn's bed, and her backpack at the foot, overflowing with biology or math homework. The only normal thing about her bedroom was the picture of our family hanging above her bed. And, of course, the half naked posters of incredibly hot men conquering her hospital-white walls.

Jay Lynn was propped up against her bed, her laptop resting on her lap as she rubbed her temples. She looked just like mom when she did that. In fact, she was all mom. Her coffee-colored hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail, her gorgeous brown eyes were protected by glasses, that were slowly sliding down her rather small nose. She looked like she had tanned over the summer, but truth is, she rarely leaves her room.

"And you're asking me, to sneak out with you and..." she started, but I interrupted her.

"No. I'll be going alone." Okay, not alone, but I couldn't tell Jay Lynn that I met some officer at the Kennels who decided to fund our flight. "But I need you to cover up for me. At least, until Mom and Dad start worrying."

"Are you serious?" Jay Lynn asked. "I'm almost positive this is illegal."

"C'mon, Jay! So many people are in trouble, and they need my help."

"You're going in on a Kamikaze mission. I can't let you do that!"

"You're acting like our parents..."

"Has it ever occurred to you that our parents have been to Hell and back? They know a lot more than you do about crime fighting, Kenna. _I _know a lot more!"

"My boyfriend is in danger, and so is our brother. I'm the only one who's out of captivity that worked on this case. I'm the only one that can help!"

"There's Oscar..."

"He's useless!"

There was a knock on Jay Lynn's door, before my mom called out, "Are you girls alright in there?"

"Yes, Mom!" we replied in unison and waited anxiously for her footsteps to fade away. As soon as they did, we dropped our voices.

"Are you sure about this, though?" Jay Lynn asked. "What if you get captured too? Who will save you then, huh?"

"That's what I was trying to say. You won't alert Mom and Dad until after I've arrived in Dell City. By the time they pack and get ready, I'll most likely find Kristen."

"But how will Mom and Dad find you?"

"I'll text you," I informed and Jay Lynn raised an eyebrow. "You're going to be my back up analyst, since Amy's gone."

She took a moment to consider it before sighing heavily. "Alright...I'll do it. But only because you won't stop bugging me if I won't."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed and tackled my sister in a hug. She gasped lightly and struggled to break free.

"Laptop! Laptop!"

I pulled away and Jay Lynn straightened her 'baby'. "Geez, Kenna. Be careful." I ignored her and jumped to my feet, heading towards the door. "Wait!"

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"Be safe, Sis. I don't want you to go insane too..."

I smiled. "Trust me, I'll be fine."

-C.O.D-

Sneaking out was fairly easy. The following evening, I told my parents I was going to work a little later to catch up on my schedule. Finding Mr. Thompson was also quite easy.

We met just in front of the airport and he escorted me in, flashing two tickets to Dell City.

"One way trip?" I asked and he smiled lightly.

"Money's tight. Besides, once we catch Kristen, they'll most likely offer us a ride back."

"True."

After going through the tedious check outs and waiting for another thirty minutes, we finally boarded our plane and took off after another ten minutes.

It wasn't until halfway through the flight when Mr. Thompson spoke up.

"I heard about you and Keith. Congratulations."

"How...?"

"Eliza. She was bursting with joy, so I was convinced to ask. Are you excited?"

I looked at my feet. "Well...I guess so."

Mr. Thompson looked towards me, then straight ahead. "You don't want to marry this guy."

"It's not that," I replied quickly. "I love Keith more than anything but..." I sighed. "I can't."

Mr. Thompson looked at me again, but this time, didn't avert his gaze. "You can't? Why not?"

I gestured to myself. "I'm only nineteen!"

"So. A lot of people get married at nineteen."

"Well...I don't have a steady job. What if we want kids? I wouldn't be able to support them!"

"Keith has a fine job, and your job pays nicely. Even if you do take a leave when you have kids, I'm sure Keith would be able to support you."

I guess I really didn't think of that. "We've only dated for a month."

Mr. Thompson smirked. "Only a month, huh? Well, that's longer than a lot of other relationships out there. And you just stated that you loved him more than anything. Kenna...You don't want to marry Keith."

"I do!"

"Then why didn't you say so in the beginning?"

"I'm scared, alright!"

He fell silent, as well as a few of the passengers surrounding us. I thought he was going to mock me, but instead, he replied, "I see. Getting married is pretty scary." He subconsciously looked towards his ring finger, which lacked a wedding band.

"Do...Do you have a special someone?" I asked, hoping we could take the spotlight off me for a little while.

"Yeah," Mr. Thompson replied and then smiled lightly. "She's my everything...And I tell her everyday. But she doesn't want anything more than what we have." He shook his head. "It takes a lot of guts to propose to someone. I've done it at least three times now, and I've been rejected three times. Obviously, if Keith proposed this early in your relationship, he sees something there that makes him want to spend the rest of his life with you."

"So I _have _to accept?"

"Well, no, but Keith would love it. It's your choice too." During this conversation, he seemed to soften from his basic, strict behavior, to a guy you could talk to about your problems. He gave me a lot of good advice by the end of the flight about what Keith is probably thinking, since the two weren't that far off on emotions. Once we got off the plane, however, his strict composure returned, as if he remembered some awful news.

"Where to now?" I asked and he tensed.

"Come with me," he commanded and he walked ahead. That's when the sirens in my mind started going off. The curly hair, the emotions, his girlfriend who won't love him back, the fact that I worked with the Dell City PD and I don't remember seeing his face there, but I do recall seeing his face somewhere. Only now did I realize the trouble I was in.

"I need to go to the bathroom," I said quickly and he turned around, his eyes staring into mine.

"You went before we landed," he grumbled and I panicked.

"Yeah, but I need to go again...You know...Powder my nose?"

"You can do that in the car, Kenna. We need to hurry."

"I'll only be five minutes, Andy," I blurted and covered my mouth. Nice one, Kenna...Nice one.

He clenched his fists. "What did you just call me?"

I didn't think too much about it. I bolted past him and through the airport. Thank goodness it wasn't huge, so I was able to make it to the doors within a few seconds. He flashed his badge to confused guards and I searched my pockets for my identification.

"Dang it," I muttered when I realized my pockets were completely empty. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed Jay Lynn's number. She picked up on the first ring and cursed lightly.

"Mom and Dad are going crazy! You forgot your ID tag at home, so they went to return it and when they found out you weren't there, they started searching all around San Francisco. You are in so much trouble!"

"I know!" I exclaimed and ran out onto the streets and looked back momentarily. Andy had recruited the other guards. "I have about five men chasing after me; one of them being Kristen's boyfriend."

"Where the heck are you?"

"Dell City Airport!"

"Okay, I'll get Mom and Dad to send some officers there and contact the Dell City Police Department. Just don't hang up. I need to track where you are."

_TWIP!_

A sharp pain tore through my neck and I gasped, falling face first into the warm asphalt. "Kenna!" Jay Lynn shouted, but her voice was already becoming foggy.

If there was one thing I hated besides hospitals...It was being shot down with tranquilizers. Before darkness overpowered me, I saw Andy and the other guards stand above me.

"I'll take care of her," Andy assured and knelt down. "You've been a bad girl, Kenna. I'm sure my mistress would love to punish you."


	24. Chapter 24

**Since I am unable to post a video tonight, I might as well update this story. :)**

**Thank you to Crimson Endings and mozzi-girl for the reviews. I really do appreciate them! :D**

**And I am trying to end this story, but I keep coming up with more chapters, so I hope you guys don't mind a few more chapters. I feel like the story is dragging, but if you guys are enjoying it, then I'll keep on writing! :) **

**Also, I'm going to do a lot of P.O.V switches because it's so much more fun than just staying in Kenna's P.O.V. And my sappy meter kind of rises...A lot in future chapters, so please forgive me. ^^' I try so hard not to make it so cheesy, but it just ends up like that anyway.**

**I'll post again, most likely on Sunday morning. And, as for the video, I'll work on it tonight and possibly post it next week? I still need to get used to Sims 3, which is what I'm going to do as soon as this is updated.**

**I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and don't party too hard. ^^**

**Thank you for all the support and please enjoy!**

* * *

**You Are Now Jay Lynn Fallon**

"Kenna!" You scream, but your sister doesn't respond. Instead, a man does.

"I'll take care of her. You've been a bad girl, Kenna. I'm sure my mistress would love to punish you."

He must have noticed the phone, because you didn't hear anything after that. You hang your head and try to stay strong. What are you going to tell your parents?

_Mom, Dad...Kenna and Daniel have been kidnapped by Kristen. And most of it's my fault because I let Kenna go to Dell City._

You look at your computer screen, hoping the GPS caught Kenna's phone. It did, but the blinking red dot remains stationary. You continue to watch, hoping it would move, but for the next fifteen minutes, it doesn't. There's no way of finding Kenna, now. You jump up and run to your parents room, where they are talking in hushed whispers, worried about Kenna's whereabouts.

"Mom, Dad," you call out and they look up. Your mom has been crying, obviously. Your mom never cries. "I know where Kenna is and it's all my fault."

"What?" your dad asks and you feel the tears begin to well up in your eyes.

"She's in Dell City," you respond and your dad jumps to his feet. You think he's going to run out and go find her, but instead, pulls you into a hug. Your mom is quick to join. "But it's my fault."

"We know where she is though, and that's enough for us," your dad mutters and holds you tighter.

"But dad...She was taken. I was talking to her on the phone and she said she was running away from Kristen's boyfriend." You cry into your dad's shirt. "It's all my fault! I helped her go back. She's gone because I helped her."

"No matter," your dad says, "we'll just call Daniel in and..."

"They have Daniel too. And Keith, his family, Amy, Kai and the Dell City Police Department Captain. I'm so sorry!"

Your dad is silent and then pulls away and reaches for his phone on the nightstand next to the bed. Your mom still comforts you as your dad punches in a few numbers and waits. "Blaise? Come quick. We have a huge problem and we need all the help we can get. And bring Jeremy."

He rushes out of the room and your mom releases her grip. She makes a dash for her coat and car keys and kisses your cheek. "Your dad and I will be back soon, Jay. Keep the house in order." And she, too, is gone. You stand in your parents room, still in shock, and hope with all of your heart that Kenna is safe. It takes five minutes for you to compose yourself and when you do, you run into your room and start working on your laptop. You're determined to make things right; to make people realize that you're much more than just a teenager. You're a Fallon.

**Kenna's P.O.V**

Well, I wouldn't say my awakening was rude. Even though I was thrown into a cell, I was instantly greeted by a pair of lips. I would've smacked the intruder, if the dim lighting hadn't revealed his recognizable features. We stayed in our 'embrace' for a minute or two until a guard tore me away and placed me beside him, which also wasn't too bad.

"You're alive," I exclaimed and Keith nodded.

"Barely. We're all trying to hold in."

I looked around, just barely noticing everyone else in the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Ferrell?" I asked and the two nodded solemnly. "Kyle and Kevin? Kira? Amy, Kai, Captain McNeill; she got you all."

"Everyone of us but Oscar," Kai replied and groaned. "Is anyone else starving?"

"Is that all ya think about?" Mr. Ferrell scolded. "Food?"

"Well, I have to believe in something," Kai responded, "because your attitude isn't helping."

"Shut up," Daniel hissed. "Look, once we get out of here, I swear Kai, I will take you to the biggest buffet in San Francisco. Just please be quiet."

"Did my son-in-law just tell me to shut up?" Kai asked and Amy sighed.

"Kai, honey, please be nice."

"Right after you tell my son-in-law to be nice..."

"Shut it, all of you," the guard, tying my down, shouted. "Sheesh, why are prisoners so talkative."

The door to the outside world opened and Kristen stepped in, smiling like a Cheshire cat, an aura of evil filling the room. "Well, well, well, look at who joined us. It's nice to see you, Kenna."

It was still difficult to see one of my best friends standing before us, responsible for our capture, and possibly, our dispose. I could still remember our Junior High Years, when we would have our own little, 'Nerd Group'. My stomach churned. This wasn't my friend; this was a monster.

"I guess it's only fair that I give you time to bond before you all die," Kristen continued. She walked towards Daniel and smirked. "Unless someone is willing to pay the price."

"Not in your lifetime," Daniel snarled.

Kristen's smile slowly faded. "Are you sure you want to refuse, Daniel? You don't want your baby sister to die a slow and painful death, do you?"

"We're already dying, Kristen! You've been torturing us for days! Kevin and Kyle might not even make it through another round."

I looked towards the red-headed twins and knew Daniel was right. Kevin could barely hold his head up, as well as Kyle. Both leaned against each other and winced every so often. I looked back towards Kristen, unable to see these once happy, mischievous twins so broken and sick.

"Very well," Kristen muttered and turned towards the exit. "I'll give you all one more day. If Daniel decides to change his mind, you'll all be saved. However, if I don't receive an answer, you'll all die."

"Wait!" I shouted and she turned around. I had no clue what I was going to say, but seeing Andy just approach the exit gave me an idea.

"What," Kristen snapped and I hesitated. "Well?"

"Um...I got engaged!"

She raised an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to care...Why?"

"Well, you're about my age, Kristen. Haven't you thought of marrying someone?"

Andy looked hopeful through the small window attached to the door. He pressed his palm against the window, hoping to hear what he had been anticipating.

"The thought may have crossed my mind," Kristen muttered and rolled her eyes. "When I was pathetic of course. I don't need marriage. The Mistress didn't need it, nor do I."

Andy frowned and stepped back.

"But what about Andy Gillum, Armie's son. He was raised by the Mistress. Doesn't he sound like the perfect guy to marry?"

Kristen laughed. "He's useless!" she exclaimed. "The Mistress raised him from childhood, yet he wasn't able to restart her rule. The idiot needed my help!"

"But he loves you," I grumbled and she laughed again.

"And thus, my point is proven. Andy will never amount to anything. He's a poor puppy dog searching for loyalty, a gift he'll never receive."

The hurt Andy displayed almost made me feel bad for him, even though he kidnapped me. He turned the handle and entered the room. Light poured in for a millisecond, then darkness reigned once more.

"Oh," Kristen said, "Babe, you're just in time for feeding."

Andy looked towards me, his expression read, 'I am so sorry.'

I gave him a subtle nod and smile before he looked towards Kristen. "Yeah, guess I am. I'll take care of the filth while you go do your duties." Kristen smiled and pecked him on the cheek and skipped out of the room. Andy ushered the other guards out and once the room was free of Kristen's cronies, he approached me and pulled out an object from his pocket.

"My cellphone," I gasped and he smiled lightly.

"Still in the road," he reported and placed it back in his pocket. "There's a GPS signal coming off of it."

"How did you figure that out?" Daniel asked and he shrugged.

"Your sister texted over a thousand times, saying the signal was working. So, I thought I'd grab it after your capture, Kenna, and destroy it." He looked towards the door. "But now, I'm not so sure."

"She's not worth it," Daniel assured. "You can love her all you want, but she'll never love you back. Trust me; I was her first."

Andy shook his head. "I've been such a fool. Kristen was right about my uselessness. I've done nothing but put you all in harm's way. The least I can do is keep the GPS signal going until rescue arrives."

"What about Ky?" Keith asked, "where's my brother?"

Andy hesitated.

"Well?"

"Ky is far beyond recovery," he answered, finally. "I'm sorry, Keith."

Daniel shook his head. "They said that about me when I was in that psychopath place. But look at where I am today; back on the force. And I'm going to be a father."

We all seemed to look towards Daniel in shock. Kids were the last thing Daniel wanted, and hearing him reveal this, it nearly frightened us.

"Angie's..." Kai began, and Daniel smiled.

"Just a couple weeks. She convinced me," he looked towards Andy, "I was told that recovery was nearly impossible. For days, I wanted to kill myself, but I realized that impossible was possible. Ky Ferrell can be saved, but we have to take down Kristen first."

Andy nodded and straightened up. "I should really get going," he said, "I can't let Kristen get too suspicious." He walked over to a pantry and pulled out several bowls filled to the brim with that nasty cereal that no one likes, but everyone has that just sits in the cupboard until it eventually expires. "It's all I can give now," he said, placing each bowl in front of us. As soon as this task was done, he ran towards the door and exited without sharing another word.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys.**

**I'm going to try to finish up this story because I'm starting to get tired of it, to be completely honest. My writing flow is starting to die, and obviously the story isn't as exciting anymore. I thought making a longer story would be fun, but in all reality, it's quite boring. So I am going to start wrapping things up, and then work on another story from the list I have on my profile.**

**Also, Tori (Crimson Endings) asked if I could take Baby Name suggestions for Daniel and Angie's kid and sure! Why not? If you guys want, just send me in your favorite boy and girl name or names and I'll choose and most likely include it in the epilogue.**

**Okay, and it's Sunday and I haven't played the latest NA...Is that bad? I mean, I've had plenty of opportunity, I just have been too lazy to pull it out, and usually, I'm done playing it by Monday night. I feel like the Cause of Death part of me is dying and slowly being replaced by Doctor Who. (Because that's all I've been doing lately; getting home from school and watching as much Doctor Who so I can catch up.) And it's not just me, it's Kensley too. But she hasn't played last week's NA and I don't think she has played this week's yet. Maybe that's what I'll do before I continue with my day...**

**And I usually don't make long intros anymore, but I want to ask you all a serious question. Do you think the recent Maltara has ruined your playing experience? Sure, it's what we've been waiting for, but I loved the waiting and little hints. Now...They just seem a little OOc for me and I don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Even writing fan fiction for it now has bothered me, and this is why I don't really like going towards writing their current state of romance, but instead, skip to when they're parents. I just don't like it as much as I thought I would. I dunno, that's just me. What are your thoughts on their relationship and how it's effecting the game. **

**Thank you and expect another update soon! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**You Are Now Jay Lynn Fallon**

A day has passed since Kenna's departure from San Francisco and all you can do is eat, watch TV, and stare at your laptop, cooking up solutions in your head. It's a test, most definitely, but if you make the smallest mistake, it could cost your family and friends their lives.

You're in the middle of an intense episode of your favorite sci-fi when your laptop beeps. You pull it onto your lap quickly and stare at the screen. The red dot on the GPS tracker has moved. You almost squeal with delight, but remember to call your parents. As you do so, you type furiously, trying to pull up the coordinates, quietly thanking Amy for teaching you the best of her skills.

"Jay Lynn, what's up?" your mom asks.

"I found Kenna. Or at least...Her cell phone. If you find her phone, you'll find her!"

Your mom converses with your father before returning an answer. "Thanks for the information, sweetheart. Just text the coordinates to Jeremy, alright?"

"How are they, anyway?" you ask and your mom sighs.

"Holding up. I don't blame them, anyway. We're about to track down their daughter and send her to jail. I'd be heartbroken if that happened to Kenna or Daniel." Your heart drops. Yeah, you were the favorite when you were much younger, but you also were an accident. You shouldn't be alive, and yet, here you were. "Or you, of course," your mom continues and you laugh solemnly.

"No worries," you reply and sit in silence. For once, you wondered how it felt to be like Daniel and Kenna. Both were heroes in San Francisco and in Dell City. You were the high school nerd. You could piece together information for an essay within minutes, but you didn't hold a gun, or have a medal. Even Kenna got a medal, and she was a Kennel Worker then. She wasn't even supposed to be on the case, and yet she went and instead of getting in trouble, was rewarded. And she got a boyfriend out of it too. _I haven't even kissed a boy, _you think and your train of thought is interrupted by your mother.

"Jay, hon, Dad and I have to go. I love you so much!"

"Yeah, I love you guys too. Good luck."

You hang up and proceed to text the coordinates to Jeremy. Once finished, you drop your phone and a wave of depression hits. You knew this already, but it still hurts to think that you're not important in your family. All you do is give out information for them to use. They get in trouble and the whole world has to stop. You get bullied at school and your parents tell you to suck it up and be a Fallon. Of course your father is a little more protective, but he says that the reason he doesn't fight your battles, like he does for Kenna and Daniel, is because he knows you're strong enough to do it on your own. You, however, know that you're weaker than your older siblings combined—and one of them is partially insane!

At the end of the day, you're just another geek, and you accept that fate glumly.

**Kenna's P.O.V**

A few hours after our feeding, a guard came in and released us from our bindings. He knew we were too weak to take him on our own, so it's just him in the chamber. Once we're all free, he steps out and presses a button on the intercom. "You all have a few hours until Kristen comes back. She says this is time for your final goodbyes. Use your time wisely." He shuts off the system and steps away. We're quiet for a few minutes before Mrs. Ferrell breaks down.

Have you ever met someone who seemed like they could kill you by just looking at you, and you have a feeling that they lack a soul. And when you finally see them cry, it either is completely awkward or relieving. Yeah, that's how it felt to see Mrs. Ferrell cry.

Mr. Ferrell pulled her into a hug and rocked her gently. I could see where Keith got his gentleness from. As Mr. Ferrell continued to rock his wife, Keith gripped my hand and looked towards me.

"We're not dying," he said, almost as if he was reassuring himself more than me. "Someone's going to burst in at the last minute and save us. It always happens."

"You can't always think positively, son," Mr. Ferrell cut in. "Yeah, it helps soften the situation, but a farmer doesn't become a farmer on positive thinking. He has to accept that there will be bad harvests and animals will die and accidents will happen. If you think positively and only believe positively, then I can guarantee you'll be a sucky farmer, or officer in this case."

Keith opened his mouth to argue, but Captain McNeill beat him to it.

"Your father is right, Keith," he added. "Positive thinking won't always save your back."

"You obviously haven't met Mal or Natara," Kai cut in. "They just scream positivity. And if anyone can save us now, it's them. They might be older, but they still whoop butt just as hard as they did in their thirties."

"I just hope you're right," Kira grumbled from her corner. She had also been quiet this whole time and I had forgotten that she was also a captive. "Because as far as we know, we've only got a few hours left."


	26. Chapter 26

**We have a few more chapters left, I believe. ^^**

**And, I'm actually doing review replies today because both reviews brought up an incredibly good point.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Crimson Endings (Little Sis!)**  
**I really like those names, especially the boy one. ^^ Thanks for doing that! And thank you for saying that. I appreciate it! :D As for your Maltara reasoning, I can see where you're headed. I agree, they aren't completely OOc, like in last week's NA, but I think it was more of when they just got together and Mal was making all of those sexual cracks. I'm not saying Maltara is bad, and I'm glad the team finally gifted us with their fluffiness, but it could use a bit of work. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :D**

**-Guest**  
**Thank you for addressing my concern. ^^ Personally I found the whole, 'Hoping for Maltara' a lot of fun. It gave me the motivation to actually play the episodes every week. Now it's like, "Oh, they're together...What's the point of playing the episode..." I admit, I did play the game mostly for Maltara and now since it's come, I just get a little more bored with each play. And like with what you said, they're not really showing it, anyway. It seems like every other episode is a Blaisebird or Jeremy/Amy thing. And about the whole Blaisebird thing you mentioned, I kind of agree now. I really liked Blaise's character when she wasn't constantly complaining to Jeremy about Mal, and just her normal Bad-A response to everything. She still is pretty Bad-A, but she needs to just cool down and dump Jeremy so he can get together with someone like, I dunno, Amy. ^^' I love Cause of Death, but it just needs to be changed or move a bit faster in my opinion. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D**

**I finally got caught up in Cause of Death, but it took a lot of motivation (namely, a few funny pictures on Tumblr.) I played Last weeks and this week's NA and they were alright. Kai made me smile, and so did sweet, innocent, Jeremy and Amy. And I think I'm becoming a Jeremy/Amy shipper. They're so cute and they can actually relate to each other. ^^ I dunno, just my thought. **

**Thank you all for reading, sorry for the long intro, have a fantastic rest of the week, and I'll update again tomorrow! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**You Are Now Andy Gillum**

You pace back and forth in a large dining room, gently tapping Kenna's cell phone. You're trying to think of creative ways to tell Kristen that you're leaving her and her evil ways, but nothing comes to mind. Kenna's screen lights up, receiving yet another text message from her parents.

_We're close, baby! Just hang in there! Mom._

You begin to smile when Kristen walks in, her hair in wet tangles around her face. You are reminded of her beauty and begin to walk towards her, but stop.

_You can love her all you want, but she'll never love you back. _Daniel was right.

You open your mouth to speak when Ky strolls next to Kristen. She smiles at him and then to you. "Our shining moment is almost at hand," she announces. "In just a few hours, the ten people holding us to this spot will be dead." Ky's lips curled into a smile, but you remain unfazed. She notices this instantly. "What's wrong, Andy? Aren't you happy?"

"Uh...Yes, my love. I'm incredibly happy. I'm just..." you pause and then smirk. "Smitten by your beauty."

"Keep the cheesiness to yourself, Dear," Kristen replies dully and turns to Ky and begins whispering. You look at the phone and see another text message has arrived.

_We'll be there in ten minutes. Mom._

You pocket the phone, making sure that Kristen doesn't see it and walk towards the basement, past all the extravagant appliances and furniture. She catches you just as you place your hand around the doorknob.

"What are you doing, Andy?" she asks.

"Um...Just going to check on the prisoners. I have nothing better to do, so I might as well watch them."

"Good! Take Ky with you!"

You look towards the teenager and back to Kristen. "Really?" you ask and she smiles. "C'mon, Kristen. He's much too young and..."

A fork flies past your face and you freeze in your tracks. Ky glares at you and Kristen's smile widens.

"Don't tell me that I'm too young for _anything_!" Ky shouts and prepares for another throw, but Kristen stops him.

"That's enough, my child. You'll get your chance sooner or later. For right now, just tag along with Andy."

Ky shares a pleading look with Kristen and she pushes him towards you. You roll your eyes and open the door and disappear down the stairs, Ky's footsteps following behind.

There's only one room in the basement, but it's large enough to be at least three other rooms. About five feet from the back wall is a sheet of bullet-proof glass, preventing the captives from running away. The intercom allows you to hear what they're saying, but as of now, it's turned off for their privacy. A door is attached to the glass, with a window that peeks through. Outside of their cage, metal shelves line the walls and computers lay upon desks, being monitored by guards dressed in police vests. They barely acknowledge your existence.

Ky looks through the glass, his expression unreadable. You know who he sees, but you don't get involved. "We're just here to watch," you remind him, but Ky pushes past you and approaches the glass wall. The two oldest captives back away in fear. However, Keith, just stares ahead, glaring at his brother.

"Ky, get away from there," you command, and he turns to face you.

"I don't have to listen to the Mistress's dog!" he retorts and the anger boiling inside of you reaches the top. You rush towards him and grab him by the throat, shoving him against the glass so hard, you swear you can hear it crack beneath his added weight.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" you shout and he struggles against your force.

The guards instantly jump to their feet and pull you two apart. You kick and punch, trying to break free, but the guards are much stronger than you are. They pull your hands behind your back and force you to the ground. One leads Ky away and another searches through your pockets.

_I've done it, _you think angrily, _I've just endangered us all._

"Look at what we have here," a guard says and pulls out Kenna's phone. You look to see her expression as this all happens, and nonetheless, she is shocked. The man continues to dig through your pockets, but finds nothing else. "A traitor," he concludes as he scrolls through the texts. "This phone is connected to a GPS. Andy has been giving away our location."

"We need to tell the Mistress," one guard mutters, but the one who confiscated the phone shakes his head.

"We shouldn't worry her," he says. "Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't mind an extra execution. I know I wouldn't." The guard pulls you to your feet and walks to the containment unit. He opens the door and shoves you forward, so you have no choice but to topple onto the concrete. The guard laughs and slams the door shut and walks away.

**Kenna's P.O.V**

I'm sure we all have our moments where everything is going fantastic. Then, this one person or incident happens that ruins all the fantastic-ness and we end up with a pile of grey slush found on the roadside after a blizzard. And you can't even make a snowball out of the slush, so it puts you into a worse mood. Well, that's how it felt. Our only form of communication, ripped away from our secret savior. Soon, Kristen would be back and we would be dead.

"Are you alright?" I asked Andy as he pushed himself upwards.

"I'm fine," Andy snarled and rubbed his wrists. "I've ruined it."

"I'm sure you didn't," Keith assured, but the former traitor slammed his fist against the indestructible glass.

"You don't get it do you, Country Boy?" he shouted. "Your only hope of escaping with your lives rested in my hands and I screwed it up. If anything, I probably just sped up our execution."

I reached out to grab his arm, but the unwelcome sound of gunfire rang out upstairs.

Daniel smiled. "Mom and Dad are here."


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey!**

**Sorry for the delay. It's been hectic lately, and I am incredibly drained, but at least my homework is completed and the weekend is almost here.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**Crimson Endings: Well, that is why you got the nickname of Madame Fallon. Let's hope you're right and this chapter is totally awesome. ^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**mozzi-girl: Hey Beast! Don't worry about falling behind. I don't mind. ^^ I hope you've been doing well. :) Thank you for your comment, I do appreciate it. :) And I swear I've heard that quote before. Is it Doctor Who? Haha! But yeah, I totally agree. I still ship it, just not wildly. And my updating skills are just...Well, yeah, pretty amazing, and it was because I lacked a social life, but now...:) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, Beast, I really do appreciate it.**

**It's 9:30 here and I should be turning in, so before I leave, I want to thank every single one of you guys out there that read my stories and review and give me advice. I love it! :D **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**You Are Now Oscar Santos**

Who says just because you got shot doesn't mean you can do some good? The nurse offers you a ride to the airport so you can fly back to San Francisco, but you decline. Earlier that morning, Natara texted you the details of what had recently happened.

_Daniel, Kenna, Amy, Kai and many more have been captured. Mal, Blaise, Jeremy and I are on our way. You know what to do._

You smile as the text reappears in your mind. As you slowly walk out of the hospital, thanking the people who possibly saved your life, you gently touch a gun at your side. You're not usually the one to jump straight into battle, but your ex-fiance's kids are in trouble. There's work to be done.

Your phone beeps again and you look at the new text message from Jay Lynn. She has texted you the coordinates of where to go and also gives you a little advice about Kristen.

It doesn't take long to locate your destination. And it's definitely not what you expected.

It's a nice, rural home just on the outskirts of the city. There is no farmland here, but a few animals still roam the premises. They look like guard dogs, so you stay a good distance away. A man stands at the door, holding a rifle. He looks tired, like he's been on duty all day without food or rest. He leans against the door and wipes the sweat from his forehead and checks his watch before resuming his stance. You need to distract him.

You double check your ammo. You have six bullets, and you plan on saving one of those for Kristen; so five bullets. You can't risk shooting him, though. There are bound to be more guards roaming inside, so you take your mind off your pistol. However, you do see a few rocks at your feet, and they're just as good as a bullet in this situation. You pick one up and toss it towards the house. It hits the exterior and the guard looks around. A few of the dogs start barking and you throw another. The guard, now fully convinced that someone has gotten past the dogs, abandons to door to look around. You take this as your chance to run.

The dogs see you, but they're much too slow. You're on the porch and inside the house within seconds. Once inside, you drop to your knees and catch your breath, which isn't an easy thing to do. A searing pain rips through your chest and you feel the world spin around, but refuse to let darkness overpower. You regain your strength just as a guard walks towards the door.

"Hey, Jack, you alright?" he asks and stops in midstep. Just like the outdoor guard, he too has a rifle. Your heart races and the only thing you can think of doing is pulling out your gun and shooting him.

_BAM!_

The guard crumples to the ground and footsteps begin running towards your way. You holster the pistol and grab the guards gun and cock it, smiling like a madman. If you die today, at least it's with a weapon in your hand and not falling off a horse.

You run into the dining room and kick down a wooden table and take refuge behind it as five guards march in, shooting at the walls. When they stop to reload, you look over your barricade and empty your magazine before ducking back down. Glass shatters and some shards even manage to pierce your skin. The wood on the table begins to splinter as bullets strike its surface.

"Come out with your hands above your head," one guard shouts over the gunfire and you look over and respond with another wave of bullets. You also manage to give him the bird before ducking back down, a bullet barely missing your head.

A shot makes it past the wooden table and you're forced to abandon your cover. You dive out of the way and make a very Oscar-Like move; you stumble over your feet and fall to your face.

_Great, _you think. _Just great._

You close your eyes and wait for the consequence of your incredibly stupid fail, and you even hear five gunshots, and yet, no pain. It's silent for a few seconds, and then you hear laughter.

"Nice going, Oscarito," Blaise's voice rings up and you smile. You roll over and look up at the four above you; Natara, Mal, Blaise and Jeremy. Natara offers you her hand and you gladly take it.

"Nice to see you lot again," you comment and Mal claps your back.

"Don't let a lawyer do a cop's job," he replies with his trademark grin. "We saved your butt back there, Santos. But at least you got one of them." Mal cocks his gun and throws you your discarded pistol. "If we're going to do this, we're going to fight fairly."

You open your mouth to protest, but a shrill laugh stops you. You see the horror ignite in Blaise and Jeremy's eyes as they freeze. Mal and Natara tense, and you're the only one who can see the one who laughed. She walks just behind the four and your recognize her features almost instantly. After all, her minion had shot you just a few days earlier.

"Aunt Natara! Uncle Mal! It's so good to see you!" The couple remains still. "And District Attorney Santos! My, you look so much better. I could have sworn the shot was fatal..." She walks past you and faces her parents. "Mom...Dad...Can't say it's a pleasure..."

"Kristen," Blaise murmurs, tears coming to her eyes. You've known Blaise for a while now and didn't think she was even capable of crying. But working around her recently...That's all you've ever seen.

"Six guards dead," Kristen continues and shakes her head. "No worry, though. Your deaths, plus the other ten I have waiting downstairs will definitely make up for it." She snapped her fingers and five more guards appeared and grabbed each of you back the arm and started pulling you towards a basement door, as Kristen leads the way.

"You won't get away with this," you shout and she laughs again.

"Oh Oscar...I already have!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Considering I'm running a mile tomorrow and I'll probably be dead by the end of it, I decided to update tonight!**

**I'm sorry, but no replies today. I've gotta hit the hay, but thank you Tori for sending in a reply and enjoying my cliffhangers. ^^**

**I may or may not be forced to participate in a church activity that involves no technology, so if I randomly disappear, you guys know that I'm suffering from Internet deprivation. I would never just vanish on you guys, know that. ^^**

**Thanks for remaining faithful. I'm attempting to write the final chapters, just as a fair warning.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Kenna's P.O.V**

The next thing I know, we have five more prisoners.

Oscar was the first to be thrown in, followed by my parents, then Blaise and Jeremy. Kristen stood behind, smiling contently. As soon as the door was locked she shook her head and pressed the button for the intercom.

"You have all disappointed me," she said and looked towards Andy. "Especially you, Andy."

"You never loved me," Andy snarled. "So why should I remain faithful?"

"Because it's the correct thing to do," Kristen replied. "Unless you want your eyes gouged out. In that case, go ahead and betray me. I'll win in the end anyway." She turned away and barked an order towards the guards. One left and came back moments later with Ky.

"Ky..." Keith muttered and he clenched his fists. "Let him go, Kristen! He doesn't deserve this!"

"Of course he does. As he watches the scum of this earth die away, he will construct a new civilization; the perfect world!"

"A perfect world isn't achievable," Daniel hissed. "As long as there are people, this world can never be perfect."

Kristen shook her head. "You are overlooking simple details, Daniel. Once Ky and I rid everyone who has done wrong, the good will be left."

"But what about you?" Kira questioned. "Aren't you killin' people? Isn't that a sin?"

"I'm doing the world a favor," Kristen growled. "They will honor me. They will honor Ky! It'll be perfect." She turned to Ky and he handed her a gun.

"Excellent," she muttered as she revealed the weapon to us. "Who will be the first to die, then?"

Of course no one _wanted _to die, but we knew someone had to at least raise their hand. As Kristen grew more and more impatient, I looked at my fellow prisoners. Only one seemed to accept death and it was Andy, but before he could speak Keith jumped to his feet.

"I'll go," he growled and my stomach dropped.

"Keith!" I called out and he glanced towards me. "No! Please..."

He walked over to me and knelt down to my height. He cupped my cheek and smiled solemnly. "Trust me, Kenna."

I placed my hand atop of his and closed my eyes. "I can't lose you, Keith...Please don't do this..."

"I'm waiting," Kristen chirped and I opened my eyes. Keith removed his hand and kissed me softly before jumping to his feet. This idiot was up to something, yet I felt like this would be our last encounter. He looked towards his parents and sighed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't the perfect son," he added. "I shouldn't have left on such short notice, but if I hadn't...Who knows where we all will be."

"Son..." Mr. Ferrell began, but a guard charged in and forced Keith out of the cell and locked the door so we couldn't escape. I ran to the front and placed my hands against the glass, crying out his name, but they shut off the sound so he couldn't hear. However, we could still hear them talking.

"First blood," Kristen smiled and breathed in as if she were sampling wine. "It's been awhile since I feasted upon a killing." She approached Keith and circled him. "Muscular...Tan...You're just adorable, aren't you."

Next to me, Blaise hid her face in Jeremy's shoulder. I didn't blame her; seeing your child murder another must have killed her.

"Some would say that," Keith retorted and smirked. "It runs in the family, I guess. Is that why you kept Ky for this long?"

Kristen smiled. "Funny. Ky has true potential."

"True potential?" Keith scoffed. "Surely there's something more than just potential, isn't there? I mean, c'mon, Kristen. You're a bright killer, you need bright assistants. Last I checked, Ky was barely managing with a 2.2 GPA."

"You're lucky he isn't in here," Kristen muttered, "or you'd be dead on the spot."

"Oh really?" Keith asked and Kristen nodded. "Then why don't you let him kill me. Maybe you should save your actual feast for the man who started this; Daniel."

"You're not supposed to be offering me as a sacrifice, Man," Daniel growled.

"Hush," the other captives hissed.

"You speak wisdom," Kristen muttered. "Pity that I didn't find you before your brother. You would've made a fine child for the late Mistress." She turned to a guard. "Fetch Ky. And make sure he's ready to kill."

The guard nodded and bolted off, returning with the Ferrell boy shortly after. Mrs. Ferrell burst out crying again, and this time, Blaise crawled over to comfort her.

"Hey bro," Keith greeted darkly and Ky glared at him.

"Keith..." he replied, just as darkly. "You're an awful human being..."

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that since I arrived, I'd have at least three dollars," Keith replied and my dad chuckled lightly.

"You know," he said, "for someone who's about to die...He's sure having a lot of fun with it."

"Oh, it's not fun," Amy informed. "He's up to something."

"Your brother wishes for you to spill his blood," Kristen hissed to Ky and he stayed emotionless.

"Do you wish for this, Mistress?" he asked and Kristen smiled.

"I think it'll be delightful to watch." She slipped the gun into his hand. "Make it slow and painful, my child."

"With pleasure." Ky twirled the gun in his hand before placing it against Keith's head. "Any final words, Brother?"

Keith smiled and my fear for him dropped. Amy was right; my idiot was up to something, and his chances of surviving outweighed the chances of perishing; but just by a little bit. "Well, there is one thing; how was high school?"

"What?" Ky asked and Keith nodded.

"Yup! High school. You weren't bullied again, were you?"

"Of course...Not. Of course not," Ky muttered. "Now shut up and..."

"Before you pull that trigger, I also just want you to know that..." Keith stopped and looked to his parents again, then to Kevin and Kyle, Kira, and finally back towards Ky. His jester-like attitude failed him and pain filled his eyes. "I am sorry for not being there. I made such a stupid decision that turned you into this. It's my fault that you are the way you are, and I am just so sorry." He hung his head, and my fear returned.

_Is he giving up already, _I thought.

"Is that all?" Ky asked, his tone softer. "Can I kill you now?"

"As long as you accept my apology," Keith replied. Ky's expression hardened and he began to press down on the trigger. I turned away, as did many of the captives.

_BAM!_


	29. Chapter 29

**Not too fond of this chapter, but oh well. ^^**

**Thank you, Molly, for the review! I appreciate it! :D**

**So, I'm actually writing the epilogue now...But I'm stuck. However, all of the story up until that point is finished and will probably be updated everyday until the epilogue is finished. Then, hopefully, we can start a new story, though my brain is not functioning properly anymore, due to school.**

**And sorry for the late update. I got caught up in...Stuff.**

**And unless I get an AMAZING idea, this will be the final story of the Officer Diggs series. ^^**

**Thank you for all of the support and for reading. We're almost done, guys! :D**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

I don't dare look, and neither do the rest of the captives. It felt like an eternity before Kristen spoke up. I expected her to call another of us to exit the cage, but that's not what she had on mind.

"You shot my guard!" she cried out and Ky dropped the gun by Keith's feet.

"I accept," he told Keith and looked to Kristen. Many of the guards in the room aimed their guns towards the Ferrell boys.

We decided to look then and a cheer arose among us, tangled in with Mrs. Ferrell's sobs of relief. Keith glanced back at me and winked, before returning his attention towards Kristen and her guards.

"When we get out of here," Daniel said, "I am going to strangle him." My dad laughed.

"Did you actually think he was going to die? Keith is a smart boy. He convinced Kristen to bring his brother down, and he managed to rearrange his brother's thoughts. I don't know about you, but that's pretty freakin' brave."

"But they're still in trouble," Mr. Ferrell added. "If Ky won't kill him, then Kristen will."

"You can either give up now," Kristen hissed, "and be killed later, or you can resist and be killed now."

Keith held up his hands. "Both are incredibly enticing options, Miss Redbird, but I'd rather capture you and free my family and friends. What do you say, Ky?"

"That sounds good," Ky replied. A look of confusion passed along his face, but it quickly changed into confidence.

"He's still under her control," Daniel muttered.

"What do you mean?" Andy asked. "He didn't kill Keith, so he must be out of her trance."

"But look at his face," Daniel commanded and we did. Another wave of confusion hit, but was quickly replaced. "He's going back and forth. That's how it was at the hospital; I couldn't focus my thoughts until recently."

"Then why haven't I been experiencing this?" Andy asked. "I mean, I was also in league with her."

"You did it out of love," my mom concluded. "Once Kristen broke that love, she broke your trance instantly. You were never fully under the influence."

"But what about Miss Collins?" Andy continues to question, but Jeremy stops him. He points towards the scene unfolding outside of our prison cell.

Kristen was dangerously close to shooting as Keith kept insulting her. Her hand trembles a bit, but the gleam in her eyes is certain. She's not like Genevieve; she actually has the desire to kill someone herself.

"Keith," I muttered, "please don't get yourself killed." My dad gripped my shoulder and squeezed it, as if reassuring me that everything would be okay; as if this were a natural occurrence. Probably to him, yeah, but me? I'm a kennel girl. The most life threatening event that has ever happened was when I had to get stitches because a dog got a little overly excited and rammed me into the side of the receptionist desk.

"Drop the gun, Kristen," Keith concluded, but Kristen shook her head.

"Get on your knees," she commanded and Keith rolled his eyes.

"I didn't want to do this but," he took a step towards Kristen and it must have scared her because she shot. The bullet grazed Keith's shoulder and he fell backwards, clutching the wound.

"Keith!" I called out and ran to the door, but Andy pulled me back.

"Don't cause a scene."

"My fiance is hurt!"

Ky scrambled backwards, aware that he was completely weaponless and of the seriousness of the situation, now that Keith was down.

"Get. On. Your. Knees!" Kristen shouted and Ky trembled, resisting her command. I could almost see the mental battle taking place between him and Kristen. It was amazing how they were able to communicate just by facial expression and eye movement. While Kristen was immersed in the fight, I saw Keith reach out towards something that had fallen on the ground; Ky's gun.

Ky's face contorted in pain and he dropped to his knees. Kira pushed to the front, most interested in this battle. Captain McNeill was right behind me.

"What...What is she doing?!" Kira demanded. "She's hurting him!"

"How?" McNeill asked. "She's not even touching him."

"It must have something to do with the hypnosis she used," Daniel assumed and my dad raised an eyebrow.

"Hypnosis?" he asked.

"You know," my mom explained, "when someone has the ability to rearrange someone's thoughts and force them to believe in something they are not."

Kristen smiled as Ky was pushing against the floor, trying to stay upright as if a weight were placed on his back.

"This isn't human," McNeill murmured.

"It actually is," Amy spoke up. "It's complicated, but it is very human."

"It's not _that_ complicated," Kai said quickly, and pointed to an object in Kristen's other hand. It seemed to be a remote control with a prominent red button. Every time Ky tried to sit back up, she punched the button and he fell back down. Daniel cringed every time she pressed the button.

"She's implanted a chip or something," he muttered.

My attention wasn't focused on Ky anymore. It was now on Keith, who had managed to grasp the fallen gun securely without being noticed. He smiled confidently and sat up, still holding his bleeding shoulder.

"Hey, Kristen!" he shouted and she looked at him immediately. "See you in Hell."

_BAM! BAM!_


	30. Chapter 30

**You guys are going to slaughter me, but...Yeah! Hope you like this chapter. One of my favorites. ^^**

**Thank you to Molly and Tori for the reviews. I really do appreciate them and I am so glad you guys are enjoying this story. ^^**

**I don't know why I wanted to update again. I guess I'm just bored and have nothing else to do for the remainder of the night aside from writing. I might actually finish an episode of Doctor Who that I stopped in the middle of and never got to finish because of freakin school. **

**Speaking of, I talked to some of my teachers and they took care of my grade issues. No more F's, thank goodness. But one C-. I can live with that, though. ^^ (And thank you, Molly, for the concern you showed earlier on my post. ^^ You live up to your name, Beast!)**

**Anyway. Hope you enjoy. There will be a little A/N at the end, if you want to read it after you, you know, calm down. ^^' **

**Thank you all!**

* * *

**You Are Now Keith Ferrell**

You are still incapacitated from Kristen's blow, but you've managed to collect a gun that Ky had dropped on the ground. Coincidence; you think not! As Kristen continuously tortures your brother, you notice the remote control in her hand, as well as everyone else locked in the containment unit. You don't mean to end her life, just blast the remote—and maybe her hand—into smithereens. But you, being the person you are, decide to have a little fun with it. After all, there are armed guards in the room, who still haven't noticed you reaching for the gun. A thought nags at the back of your mind, but you shrug it off. Your only objective is to save your family and friends, no matter what pain is to come.

"Hey Kristen!" you shout and you notice Kenna in your peripherals looking hopeful, "See you in Hell."

_BAM! BAM!_

The first shot comes from you, and you notice the bullet successfully clip her hand and the remote drops. Ky falls down, the weight being lifted from his shoulders. Kristen screams and holds her hand to her chest, the blood already staining the light fabric. The second shot, however, you are unable to pinpoint. You notice the guard holding his rifle towards you, but you don't feel any pain, aside from your shoulder wound. It isn't until you look towards Kristen's prisoners when you notice that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Some of the guards rush out of the room, noticing their commander is no longer the toughest link. A few stay, but refuse to use their weapons. Kristen begs for help, but she doesn't receive it. However, the thing that concerns you the most is your mother's horrified expression and Kenna covering her mouth. You shakily stand up and press a button at a control table. The door swings open, and the first thing you hear from your soon-to-be-wife is not your name, but "KY!"

Your stomach drops and you look at your brother. He should be standing up, but he's curled up on the ground, breathing heavier than ever, his hand covering his stomach. You're the first to his side.

"Ky! Ky, can you hear me?" you shout frantically, gently shaking your younger brother. He doesn't respond with words, only a loud groan of absolute pain, and it kills you inside. Slowly, you begin to move his hands away, but stop when you notice the blood. You know where the second shot went.

Kenna joins your side, and though she does look relieved to see you, she pushes you out of her way and places pressure upon Ky's wound. He winces at the sudden movement, but soon relaxes.

"Ky," Kenna whispers soothingly, "everything will be okay. I promise."

For the first time in a long time, Ky smiles. That's when you know that he won't be making it out of this one. They all smile before they die.

"Thank you," he mutters. Kenna smiles back sadly and continues to apply pressure. Your mom and dad rush to join her, but know well enough not to interrupt. Mal walks over and pulls you to your feet as Natara searches for bandages. Mal does what Kenna is doing, but to your shoulder and he smiles towards you. It isn't sad; it's grateful.

"I'm proud of you, Keith," he says quietly. "Very, very proud."

"But Ky..."

"It's hard to understand, but sometimes, the heroes don't always make it out alive."

Daniel is also at Ky's side, but he shares a short glance with you. Your friendship has definitely been in peril for the last few days, but now, all that fighting seems childish. He smiles sadly, and returns his attention towards your brother.

Everything seems normal, aside from Kristen's cries in the background. You turn your gaze towards her and notice something unusual. Though she hides her bloodied hand, her good hand is clenched around an object.

"You...You idiot!" she shouts and she reveals the object; a chrome pistol. Where she got it from, you don't know, but that suddenly doesn't matter when the weapon is cocked and pointed towards your face. This time, she doesn't hesitate to ask for last words. The others turn to look as she pulls the trigger. Knowing you probably won't be able to escape the bullet, you brace yourself for impact. Kenna cries out, and so do many of the others, but only one takes action.

_BAM! BAM! BAM! CLICK!_

Before the bullet can even penetrate your skin, a shadow jumps in front of you, shielding you from the attack, taking in all three shots. It doesn't take long for you to notice the one who saved your life.

"Andy!" you shout, as Kristen's former side-kick falls to the ground, three bullet holes lining his chest.

Blaise and Jeremy tackle their daughter to the ground and remove her weapon. The rest of the guards leave the premises in a hurry, seeing as their commander is now useless, and Natara abandons her search of bandages to aid another fallen soldier. Two are nearly dead at your feet, and you feel like it's your fault. It should be.

Backup is called in almost immediately and Kristen is removed and taken to the hospital for medical treatment, as well as Ky and Andy, both starting to slip away.

You are not permitted to follow until they have them in either stable condition, or the plug is pulled on Life Support.

Kenna is quick to pull you into a hug. She leaves bloody hand prints around your neck and on the collar of your shirt, but you could care less as you hold her tighter and tighter, almost to the point where she needs to pull away to breathe. Words aren't exchanged between anyone; only sobs and hugging. Though they are still shaken and broken themselves, Blaise and Jeremy hold Mr. and Mrs. Ferrell close, as well as Kevin, Kyle, and Kira. You know you should console your family, and you plan on doing so, but right now, you need to hold onto someone who's stronger than you are at the moment; and that someone is Kenna Fallon, the kennel girl.

* * *

**Very cheesy, I know, and a little rough on Ky and Andy. To be honest, I had always had something planned for Ky since the beginning, but didn't think of torturing Andy until a few weeks ago. I'm sorry for the sudden-ness though. Personally, I thought it flowed alright, but if you think differently, I apologize. ^^'**

**Again, thank you for reading and stay tuned for the last three chapters! :D**


	31. Chapter 31

**Not quite the ending, but we're getting there. As you can probably tell, I gave up halfway through.**

**Special thank you to Crimson Endings for reviewing. I appreciate it, Little Sis! :) Hopefully this chapter will put you at ease...Hopefully being the key word.**

**So...I kinda broke my capslock key last night. I don't know why, but I wanted to take it off of the keyboard and a little piece fell off, so now the key doesn't even fit properly and I have to tab this little rubber thing, which gets annoying, but I am most likely going to order a new keyboard sometime between this week and next week. (My shift keys, Q-key, arrow keys, Tab key have all fallen off, and though they have been put back on, they'll randomly fall off. -.- I need to stop picking at my keys.**

**Anyways, it's really late here and I have to wake up early, so I wish you all a good night! And a good rest of the day too. **

**THANK YOU! :D**

* * *

**Kenna's P.O.V**

Everyone is either crying or deadly silent. Around midnight, we were finally able to visit Ky and Andy in the hospital, though our viewings are limited due to the many complications. Everyone takes turns in groups visiting each patient. Keith kept urging me to tag along, mentioning that things were still awkward between him and his parents, but I shoved him off. Mom and Dad went with Amy and Kai to visit Andy, and Captain McNeill, Daniel and I were left in the waiting room.

Daniel paced back and forth, assuring Angie through a phone conversation that everyone was okay. He didn't dare mention the two deaths that were about to take place. He took a seat next to me, exhausted from all the walking and sighed into the phone. "I love you so much, Angie. Never forget that, alright? I'll be home within days, okay? Oh! And tell Theo to stay out of my office." He wasn't too excited about Angie babysitting her brother while he was gone, but at least he didn't have to do it. When he finally hung up, he rubbed his temples and groaned.

"And to think, your wife is having Kai's grandbaby," I reminded him and he shook his head.

"Shut up. It's already hard enough dealing with Theo. He keeps asking me to hypnotize him. Even Kai doesn't ask me to do that! And we all know that he has the mentality of a six year old."

"He's not that bad," I replied. "Theo just has a little severe case of ADHD; nothing to get your panties in a twist about."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Ha. Ha."

Mom and Dad came out soon after with Amy in tears and Kai holding her in a one armed embrace. My mom shared a look with Daniel and I telling us not to ask anything, but to just go with Captain McNeill.

In the room Andy was in, there were several machines lined against the wall and what seemed to be hundreds of tubes and wires connecting him to said machines. His eyes were closed and he remained stationary. It was difficult to keep a tough composure.

We didn't do much, but sit next to his bedside. In a moment like this, company was what he really needed. I doubt he wanted to die alone. I even gripped his hand and whispered my thanks for everything he had done from going against Kristen before getting captured, to saving Keith's life. And just for a small moment, I could have sworn he was smiling.

-C.O.D-

Ky's farewell was just as bad, and maybe a little worse. Keith left to go thank Andy before the doctor's pulled the plug. Mrs. Ferrell was all 'cried-out' and just sat next to Ky, holding his hand tighter than ever, as Mr. Ferrell observed in the corner. Throughout all this, he remained as strong as ever. I was beginning to wonder if he even had emotions.

Unlike Andy, Ky was partially conscious, but the doctor reminded us that he is far beyond repair, which made Mr. Ferrell cringe. Seeing that the family needed more space, I knelt at his bedside so we were about the same height, and I began to ramble on about many things, ranging from our first meeting to this moment. I stumbled over most of my words and finally gave up on trying to lighten the mood.

"I guess what I'm saying is...You're absolutely amazing Ky," I said quietly and he smiled in response.

"Take care of him," he said.

"Who?"

"Take care of Keith."

I nodded quickly and stood back up. "Thank you."

"No," he replied, "thank you, Kenna."

-C.O.D-

Watching someone die is probably the most horrifying, yet interesting thing ever; especially if they were in critical condition like Ky and Andy. Andy was pretty much already dead, but when they unhooked him from the wires, his breathing mellowed out and he relaxed into the hospital bed.

Ky took a little longer. His breathing shortened and his eyes were glazing over and he began speaking nonsense near the end. When he finally passed though, it was with a smile.

A few days later, we held Ky's funeral in Dell City. The Ferrell family had agreed to let us all stay in their home will they mourn.

Andy was sent back to San Francisco to be buried with his parents. Kristen had also been sent home, but heavily guarded and without her parents. Her trial would take place a month after we returned home.

That's where I really wanted to be right now; in San Francisco. I didn't care if I had to work as a pooper scooper for the rest of my life, I just wanted all of this death and destruction to stop.

I received my wish two days after Ky's funeral. Keith hugged his parents tightly, and Kevin and Kyle clung to his legs. My parents, Daniel and I waited outside of our car, Amy and Kai already inside and ready to go. (We had already shared our good-byes with Captain McNeill earlier that day.)

"Don't leave," Kevin sobbed. "We need you!"

Keith knelt down and pulled the two into separate hugs. "Don't worry," he replied soothingly. "I'll keep visiting. In fact, you guys are all coming to San Francisco very soon anyway." He looked towards me and smiled. "Right?"

"Of course," I agreed.

"I'll never leave you guys again," Keith assured and pulled away. He turned towards Kira, who kept quiet. We had all guessed she and Ky were close, considering her silent attitude. Keith approached her and wrapped her in a one-armed hug. "I'll see you soon, alright."

"Alright," she replied. "Just...Please be safe, Keith. Please..."

"I'll be fine," he said with a small laugh and pulled away. He made his way towards me and gripped my hand before turning around and waving. "I love you all!"

Mrs. Ferrell smiled lightly and repeated this action. "If you don't visit within the next few months, I'll whoop your behind when you decide to come back!"

Keith laughed and we jumped into the car. "At least she's still a little psycho," he whispered to me and my dad started the car.

"San Francisco, here we come!" he announced and we all sighed in relief. We were finally going home.


	32. Chapter 32

**Sorry for the later update. I finally finished my homework and I had extra time, so I thought I'd post the last, official chapter of Family Relations! Also, it's a bit cheesy, especially at the end. But I felt it was appropriate to add it, so I did!**

**Before I begin the review replies, I want to thank a super special reader out there who attacked me with Favorites this morning, which made my day a lot nicer. _The Beautiful Filth_, you are seriously amazing. I am so glad you found my stories favorable ^^ I appreciate your continued support. If you need someone to talk to, or wanna just have a fun conversation, I'm always open. Seriously...Thank you so much! :D**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Crimson Endings**  
**I lost it at your song. That is so brilliant! xD I tried to continue it, but rhyming is not my forte. I'm going to write that down, because that was pure genius right there. ^^ Thanks for reading and reviewing, Little Sis. I really do appreciate it. :D**

**-mozzi-girl (The Beast!)**  
**Thank you so much for the compliments and for the assistance. ^^ You're brilliant at helping others! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it!**

**So, I actually started writing more of the epilogue and it'll either be posted tomorrow or Thursday. AND AND AND! my Xbox got moved to the basement again where it's more secluded and there's surround sound, so I can start watching Doctor Who again and finish that episode I stopped in the middle of. Then again, now that the Xbox is back down here, I can't sleep until after 10:30 because my youngest brother keeps flipping out and...-.-' But I'm doing this for my Doctor. ^^ Speaking of...There is a Doctor Who reference in here, just because I felt like adding it. ^^**

**As for my next story, I might start Special Agent Mal, because there is potential, but I don't have a solid plot. Cause 4 Death 2 is much more solid and I would love to bring back my favorite zombie apocalypse fighters, but I don't know how to start or how to get to the plot. Maybe I'll do Unreliables, though, that one is more of an OC interaction with the cast. It's so difficult to choose! -.-'**

**Anyway, it's late and I should be heading off. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Stay tuned and please enjoy! :D**

* * *

**One Month Later**

With the wedding in just a few days, we're all relieved when Kristen's case came to a close. Her defense didn't put up with much of a fight, considering they were all horrified of her. She was sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind prison bars, which actually made Jeremy and Blaise quite happy.

"She'll get better," Jeremy had told me as he watched the officers take his only child away.

"We'll know where she is," Blaise added and smiled. "She's safe now, and so is San Francisco, and that's all that matters."

It was so weird to return to a normal lifestyle after all that had happened. Eliza welcomed me back with opened arms, crying because she thought I had gotten myself killed. After our reunion, though, everything slid back into place and I was cleaning kennels. I know I had told my parents that I would never fall into their line of work, but I had for just a few months and it felt different, yet enjoyable. But I couldn't handle the images of people dying. I had already seen it twice and it wasn't something I wanted to revist any time soon.

It all crashed down on me the night before the wedding.

I was laying on the couch, watching one of Jay Lynn's recordings. She was doing much better now, knowing that we were all home—and the fact that she had an actual medal to prove that she saved a couple of lives. We didn't talk much about the whole Dell City fiasco; it was best not to make Mom flip out and lock herself in a room for half an hour.

About halfway through the show, my dad joined me, sitting across from me on another chair. He watched silently before speaking.

"I don't get it," he replied and I looked up at him. "If he's a Time Lord, then shouldn't he know in advanced before everything bad happens?"

I shrugged. "How should I know? This is Jay Lynn's territory."

"And why do people think he's so dashing and charming. He's what...Forty-five? And he acts like he doesn't care most of the time. It's insane..."

I smiled and sat up. "You're not here to talk about Doctor Who, are you, Dad?" I turned off the TV and my dad shrugged, smiling back.

"Nah; it's not my forte."

"Then why are you here?"

His smile faltered a little. "Well...My daughter is getting married tomorrow. After this, I won't be the only man in her life anymore."

Knowing this conversation would probably take awhile, I patted the space next to me and he joined my side. I leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I remember the day you were born, Kenna," he recalled. "I was dirty, your mother was dirty, we both were tired, and your mother was incredibly pissed." I laughed lightly. "But the thing I remember most is the joy I felt when I saw you. My mom used to tell me that dads got softer when they had daughters. I didn't think she was right, until you were born. I was always the first one to your bedside when you cried. I went through years of playing Princesses with you and Jay Lynn because I loved you guys more than anything. And now...You two are getting older and older and tomorrow, you'll be starting a new life and thinking about having kids of your own, and Jay Lynn will be going to college and...Your mother and I are going to be grandparents in a few months. I am still too good-looking to be a grandpa."

"You act like I'll never see you again, Dad," I replied, looking up at him.

"You have a new Prince Charming," he informed.

"Well, sure I do...But you were the first."

He chuckled. "All I'm asking, Kenna, is that you never change who you are. You're becoming a Ferrell, but you'll always be a Fallon."

I pulled away and smiled. "Too cheesy for my liking, Dad." I stood up, and he followed. I liked the fact that he was still just a few inches taller than me, unlike my mom who was about the same height. It meant I still had some growing up to do and I was fine with that. I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Kenna. Sleep tight."


	33. Chapter 33

**Before you guys beat the shiz out of me for updating a few days late, let me just say in my defense, I was writing a new version of the epilogue every day. And finally, I decided to just settle with the one I wrote a few minutes ago. Hopefully it's not too dull or choppy. ^^'**

**It's getting late here and I'm getting really tired from shopping and sitting at a movie theater pretty much all day, so I just want to thank the two, most amazing readers who stuck with this story since the beginning; Crimson Endings and mozzi-girl, AKA, My little sis and The freakin Beast of all Beasts. ^^ I love you guys in the non-pedophile way. Thank you for staying with this story! I appreciate it more than you think. ^^**

**So, believe it or not, I got inspiration for my next story, Special Agent Mal from the infamous movie, High School Musical 2. (I was really sick this morning, okay? But really, it gave me a good idea!) I won't actually be posting the story for a few more days, seeing as I still am buried underneath homework and family crap. Also, I've been cooking up new YouTube ideas. How does this sound; a Sims video every other week and a vlog-type-thingy in the weeks that I don't make Sims vids. **

**Alright, I am starting to yawn like crazy, so I'll talk to you all again soon! Thanks for reading this story; it means a lot. I hope you enjoy the epilogue. ^^ **

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Two Years Later_

Keith pulled our car into my parent's driveway and pulled out the key. He smiled towards me. "Ready?" he asked and I nodded. I turned back and looked at the baby carrier resting in the back seat, carrying our two-month old daughter, Bethany.

"Hey sweetheart," I greeted and she looked at me blankly before nodding and snuggling deeper into her mass of blankets. "Are you ready to meet your other grandparents for the first time." She showed no interest, instead, drifting off. I laughed and opened my door, Keith following my actions.

As he reached into the backseat to unhook the carrier, the front door was thrown open and my 18-month old nephew dashed towards us, trying to steady himself by flailing his chubby arms. "Kenna!" he cried and nearly tripped, but caught himself.

"Liam!" I squealed and ran to pull him into a hug. He was always the first the greet us when Keith and I visited San Francisco. We had moved into the Ferrell household to help with pretty much everything. After Ky's death, the family was so broken, we were actually called in by Captain McNeill to come immediately to just be with the family for a little while. While there, Kira tried to take her life, so I asked Keith if we could move to Dell City to make sure the family was taken care of. I still don't regret our decision, because every time a Ferrell smiles, it reminds Keith and I that we're doing our job.

Daniel came running out, his dark hair disheveled, possibly from nights of unrest. Though he may have the last name Fallon, Liam totally resembled his grandfather, Kai. "Li...Keith! Kenna!" Daniel called and dashed towards us. "About time! Mom's getting pissy! She really wants to see the baby." I looked back towards Keith who payed no attention to Daniel, but Bethany, grinning from ear to ear as she yawned and looked up with interest towards her father.

Keith was the first to hold her, and it took nearly ten minutes before he would hand the baby to me. He even gave her her middle name; Ki. Very close to her uncle's, but fit for a girl. Ever since, he has always been at her side when he was home from work. Often, his attention was only towards her, and me of course, but mainly her.

Daniel took our bags from the back as I still held tight to Liam. He recalled adventures that I had missed while living in Dell City, one of them being a boy wooing Jay Lynn. We entered into the house and were quickly greeted by my father, followed by my anxious mother.

"Is she here?" my mom asked and squealed when she saw her answer. "Bethany!" She approached Keith, who had already prepared for giving up his daughter. My mom gently took the infant into her hands and kissed her forehead. "She's so beautiful. She's a mix of both of you! Kenna's hair, Keith's eyes; I just...She's so..."

"I never thought I'd see the day when Natara fangirled," Kai said as he rounded the corner and outstretched his arms. "Come here and give me a hug; both of you!"

We weren't allowed to say no. Amy told us it made him sad, so I set down Liam and we charged towards him and he held us in a tight hug.

I felt that's how most of the day went. Family came and went, welcoming Keith, Bethany and I back to San Francisco. A lot of hugging was definitely involved.

Near the end of our first day, as my dad rocked Bethany to sleep, my mom was half asleep on the recliner, Daniel flanked my side, as well as Keith, and Jay Lynn's attention focused on the baby, we sat in complete silence. This was usually how we ended our days here. Everyone was so tired from rushing about all day and catching up on each others life. I don't blame any of them; I was about to collapse of sleep deprivation, so I leaned against Keith's shoulder to keep me semi-awake. A few minutes later, Jay Lynn began to talk out loud.

"Kenna...Throughout this entire visit, I haven't heard you talk about your job. Where do you work now?"

I sat up slightly. "I've stopped for a little bit to take care of Beth, but I work at the Dell City Police Department."

My dad looked up from his cooing, surprised etched in every feature. "You work at the police department?" he asked and I smiled.

"Yeah. It's a great place to work. I'm always with Keith, so that's good, and my job pays well, even though I don't do much."

The surprise faded and turned into confusion. "What...What's your job?" my dad asked cautiously. I sighed and tried to maintain my smile, even though I knew the response would be negative.

"Kennels," I replied, but instead, got a relieved look and an even bigger smile than before.

"Good," he replied and looked back down towards Bethany, before looking back up. "Are you happy?"

The answer to that was very simple. I looked back on my life, pretending to ponder the answer. I had started out as a baby born after a horrendous experience. I grew up with my own group of friends, but with constant bullying here and there. I had a boyfriend, but he left me for another. My best friend had been brutally murdered by my other best friend, with assistance from my brother, who had gone partially insane. Then, Keith came into my life and I met his family and almost feared for my life every day. I had been captured, abused, deprived of nearly everything, lost two amazing people along the way, and I lived states away from my family. I'll admit, I've been through Hell since the day I was born, but I've always managed to pull myself out of the pit, bit after bit after each trial I face. _Was I happy?_

I gripped Keith's hand and grinned. "Yes...I am very happy."


End file.
